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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 room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. date — the fruit
  4. bank — for money
  5. hand — in cards
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. object — an aim
  9. court — of a king
  10. net — after costs
  11. court — for sport
  12. bank — for money
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. net — in sport
  15. bank — of a river
  16. object — a thing
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. net — for catching
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. object — to protest
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. court — of law
  23. hand — help
  24. fan — to cool the air

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