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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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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: hand · swing · content · net · wake · saw · pit · object

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. net — in sport
  3. pit — in a race
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. hand — help
  6. net — for catching
  7. net — after costs
  8. object — an aim
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pit — a hole
  11. swing — to play on
  12. swing — music
  13. hand — in cards
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. saw — the tool
  16. object — to protest
  17. wake — a trail
  18. swing — in golf
  19. object — a thing
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. content — the amount
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. content — happy

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