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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: dip · toast · mug · cold · perch · mouse · pitch · net

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. net — after costs
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. perch — the fish
  7. mug — a cup
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mug — a face
  10. cold — not warm
  11. net — for catching
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. dip — to sink
  16. cold — an illness
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — completely
  21. mug — to rob
  22. toast — bread
  23. net — in sport
  24. toast — the most admired

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