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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. net — after costs
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. net — for catching
  7. plane — a tool
  8. can — to be able to
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — in sport
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. can — a tin
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — a measure
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. can — a tin
  24. pitch — completely

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com