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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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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: ball · present · pitch · net · scale · firm · lie · pop

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. lie — to recline
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — the time now
  9. pop — music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. present — a gift
  13. pitch — completely
  14. scale — size or range
  15. firm — decided
  16. net — in sport
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. net — for catching
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. net — after costs
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. pop — soda
  23. ball — a great time
  24. scale — in music

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