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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. net — in sport
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mug — to rob
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. shower — rain
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bass — the fish
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mug — a face
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. net — for catching
  22. net — after costs
  23. bass — low music
  24. stand — to bear

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