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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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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: pop · wave · pitch · roll · bank · net · mug · spell

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. spell — letters
  3. roll — a list
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pop — soda
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. mug — a face
  9. roll — a cake
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. spell — a short time
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. bank — for money
  16. net — for catching
  17. bank — for money
  18. pitch — completely
  19. mug — to rob
  20. net — in sport
  21. spell — magic
  22. pop — music
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. wave — of the sea

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