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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: pit · band · dip · coach · jam · net · pitch · bowl

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. net — after costs
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. pit — in a race
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — completely
  11. net — in sport
  12. band — a ring
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. pit — a hole
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. band — a music group
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. jam — in traffic

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