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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 120 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: saw · net · snap · present · content · ground · pitch · kick

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. net — in sport
  4. pitch — completely
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. kick — in football
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. ground — the earth
  11. saw — the tool
  12. ground — a position
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. present — a gift
  15. present — there
  16. ground — crushed
  17. net — after costs
  18. snap — to click
  19. content — the amount
  20. saw — the tool
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. net — for catching
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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