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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's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. bass — the fish
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. net — after costs
  9. net — in sport
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. key — the most important part
  12. key — in music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. key — for a lock
  15. net — for catching
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lie — to recline
  22. bass — low music
  23. pitch — completely
  24. patient — a sick person

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