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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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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 · racket · kid · bound · snap · pitcher · rush

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bound — certain
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. snap — to click
  6. kid — child
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. net — for catching
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bound — tied together
  13. kid — to tease
  14. rush — hurry
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. net — in sport
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. net — after costs
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bound — obliged

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