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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · pitch · land · cap · track · trunk · chair · kick

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. land — a country
  3. track — to keep track
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. pitch — completely
  6. net — in sport
  7. net — after costs
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. cap — of ice
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. net — for catching
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cap — a hat
  20. kick — in football
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. cap — a lid

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