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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 116 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
468
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: pitcher · pit · net · drill · can · bark · pitch · rest

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. net — after costs
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. drill — the tool
  11. rest — what's left
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — army training
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. can — a tin
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. rest — a break
  24. can — a tin

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