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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: net · pit · pop · chair · pitcher · face · straw · nail

  1. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. face — part of the head
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. net — after costs
  12. face — to confront
  13. chair — a leader
  14. pit — a hole
  15. face — to point toward
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. net — in sport
  19. pit — in a race
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. net — for catching
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. pop — to visit
  24. nail — on a finger

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