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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. plane — a tool
  3. pitch — completely
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. cap — of ice
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. field — for sport
  12. cap — a lid
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cap — a hat
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bank — for money
  18. field — farmland
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. net — in sport
  23. field — a subject
  24. bank — of a river

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