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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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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: band · net · kick · tear · toast · pitcher · bass · pit

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. band — a ring
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. net — after costs
  8. net — in sport
  9. kick — in football
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. tear — to rip
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pit — in a race
  18. tear — from crying
  19. band — a music group
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. toast — bread
  22. pit — a hole
  23. tear — from crying
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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