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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: net · mate · row · pit · pitch · bound

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. net — after costs
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bound — obliged
  6. row — a line
  7. mate — to breed
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. pit — a hole
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bound — certain
  15. net — for catching
  16. bound — tied together
  17. row — to paddle
  18. mate — a friend

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