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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.

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: pitch · net · mouse · mug · sharp · squash · lean · field

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. sharp — clever
  3. squash — to crush
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. net — for catching
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. squash — the sport
  12. pitch — completely
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. net — in sport
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — a subject
  17. lean — to bend
  18. mug — a cup
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. lean — thin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. field — for sport
  23. net — after costs
  24. mug — a face

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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