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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. stand — to bear
  3. march — the month
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. can — a tin
  6. march — music
  7. land — ground
  8. mug — a face
  9. land — a country
  10. land — to come down
  11. can — to be able to
  12. pitch — completely
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — a cup
  15. net — in sport
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. can — a tin
  20. mug — to rob
  21. net — for catching
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. net — after costs

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