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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: net · bay · arm · lean · band · pitch · squash · fall

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. lean — to bend
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. pitch — completely
  6. band — a music group
  7. fall — the season
  8. net — in sport
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. band — a ring
  13. net — after costs
  14. fall — to drop
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fall — to drop
  22. lean — thin
  23. net — for catching
  24. squash — to crush

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