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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: ground · pit · chest · pitcher · nail · net · mark · firm

  1. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. mark — a trace
  3. firm — steady
  4. net — in sport
  5. ground — the earth
  6. net — for catching
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. pit — in a race
  9. mark — a grade
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. firm — decided
  12. ground — crushed
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — a position
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. chest — a box
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. chest — of your body

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