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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: band · net · dip · saw · last · pitch · stick · pit

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — for catching
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitch — completely
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. saw — the tool
  11. dip — to sink
  12. saw — the tool
  13. band — a ring
  14. last — to go on
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. pit — in a race
  18. band — a music group
  19. last — final
  20. last — finally
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. net — in sport

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