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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. ground — crushed
  3. staff — employees
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mine — for digging
  6. ground — the earth
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. net — after costs
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. pitch — completely
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. net — in sport
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. ground — a position

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