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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. object — an aim
  5. foot — a measure
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. object — a thing
  9. object — to protest
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. stand — to bear
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. net — for catching
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. net — in sport
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. pitch — completely
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. net — after costs

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