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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. net — in sport
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. prune — to trim
  11. board — a committee
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. net — after costs
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. ball — a dance
  22. board — to get on
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. net — for catching

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