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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: rash · mug · pitch · stick · chest · rush · mate · net

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. chest — of your body
  4. rash — a series
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mate — a partner
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. net — after costs
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. mug — to rob
  11. net — in sport
  12. chest — a box
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rush — hurry
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mug — a face
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. chest — of your body
  21. rash — hasty
  22. mate — to breed
  23. mate — a friend
  24. net — for catching

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