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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 120 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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. staff — employees
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. bass — the fish
  5. net — for catching
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. band — a ring
  11. staff — employees
  12. hand — in cards
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. net — in sport
  16. band — a music group
  17. net — after costs
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. staff — a stick
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pitch — completely
  23. mug — a face
  24. bass — low music

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