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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 120 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: pitch · fall · bay · hand · mug · net · leaves · pound

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. hand — in cards
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. net — after costs
  12. mug — a face
  13. net — in sport
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. fall — the season
  16. pitch — completely
  17. net — for catching
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. mug — to rob
  21. mug — a cup
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. hand — help
  24. fall — to drop

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