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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: cue · pitch · net · kid · firm · bound · plane · snap

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. net — for catching
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bound — certain
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. firm — decided
  8. bound — tied together
  9. cue — for pool
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pitch — completely
  12. cue — a signal
  13. cue — a hint
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. net — in sport
  16. bound — obliged
  17. firm — a company
  18. firm — steady
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. kid — child
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. plane — a tool
  24. net — after costs

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