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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 116 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. bat — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. firm — decided
  5. pitch — completely
  6. firm — steady
  7. row — to paddle
  8. bass — the fish
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. net — in sport
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. object — a thing
  13. object — to protest
  14. net — for catching
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. bass — low music
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. object — an aim
  23. row — a line
  24. fan — a supporter

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