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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 116 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: racket · snap · pitch · lean · net · pit · cue · bowl

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. pit — a fruit stone
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. cue — a signal
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. cue — a hint
  11. cue — for pool
  12. lean — to bend
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pit — in a race
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. net — for catching
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. snap — to click
  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