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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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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: rest · net · bat · can · pound · pit · pitch · hide

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rest — what's left
  3. pit — a hole
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bat — the animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — in a race
  9. rest — what's left
  10. can — a tin
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. net — for catching
  15. net — after costs
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. can — to be able to
  19. net — in sport
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pound — a weight
  22. can — a tin
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rest — a break

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