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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: snap · bay · fine · chip · net · wound · plane · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. net — in sport
  5. fine — high quality
  6. wound — an injury
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. net — after costs
  10. chip — to eat
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wound — an injury
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. fine — all right
  19. chip — for betting
  20. plane — a tool
  21. net — for catching
  22. snap — to click
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. pitch — completely

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