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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: arm · land · net · date · cap · pitch · racket · stick

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. pitch — completely
  6. net — after costs
  7. cap — a lid
  8. net — in sport
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. date — the fruit
  11. land — ground
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. land — a country
  16. cap — a hat
  17. cap — of ice
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. land — to come down

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