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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 · pit · last · lie · toast · pound · chair · pitcher

  1. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — final
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. lie — to recline
  7. last — to go on
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. last — finally
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pound — a weight
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. net — after costs
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. toast — bread
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. chair — a leader
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. net — for catching
  24. pound — to hit hard

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