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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.

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: net · snap · current · object · foot · rock · pitch · trunk

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. net — for catching
  3. current — electric
  4. net — in sport
  5. object — to protest
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. snap — to click
  9. object — an aim
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. pitch — completely
  12. rock — a stone
  13. net — after costs
  14. rock — music
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. current — of water
  18. foot — a measure
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. current — happening now
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. object — a thing
  24. foot — the bottom

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