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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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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 · cell · fork · leaves · dip · band · saw

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. net — after costs
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. dip — to sink
  5. pitch — completely
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. saw — the tool
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. band — a music group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. net — in sport
  23. band — a ring
  24. cell — in biology

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