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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. staff — employees
  3. wound — an injury
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. net — after costs
  6. suit — clothes
  7. firm — a company
  8. pitch — completely
  9. wound — an injury
  10. file — a document
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — in music
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. staff — employees
  15. file — a tool
  16. scale — size or range
  17. net — for catching
  18. firm — steady
  19. net — in sport
  20. suit — to fit
  21. file — a line of people
  22. suit — in cards
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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