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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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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: pitch · net · row · tear · mark · toast · can · mine

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. mine — for digging
  3. tear — from crying
  4. pitch — completely
  5. tear — to rip
  6. net — for catching
  7. mark — a trace
  8. net — after costs
  9. row — to paddle
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. tear — from crying
  12. net — in sport
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. can — a tin
  17. toast — bread
  18. can — to be able to
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. row — a line
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. can — a tin
  24. mark — a grade

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