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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: mark · leaves · net · pitch · mug · chest · jam · dip

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. mug — a face
  4. net — in sport
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. net — after costs
  7. chest — a box
  8. mark — a trace
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — for catching
  13. pitch — completely
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mark — a grade
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. mug — a cup
  18. chest — of your body
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. chest — of your body
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. dip — to sink

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