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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.

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: clip · net · pitch · ball · wake · object · staff · can

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. staff — employees
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. can — to be able to
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. staff — employees
  8. ball — a dance
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. net — after costs
  11. ball — a great time
  12. object — to protest
  13. can — a tin
  14. pitch — completely
  15. clip — to cut
  16. clip — a video
  17. net — in sport
  18. net — for catching
  19. wake — a trail
  20. can — a tin
  21. clip — for paper
  22. staff — a stick
  23. object — a thing
  24. pitch — a sports field

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