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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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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: deal · pitch · ground · object · rash · hide · net · fall

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. net — in sport
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. net — after costs
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. object — an aim
  7. object — a thing
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. fall — the season
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. fall — to drop
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rash — hasty
  16. fall — to drop
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. rash — a series
  19. deal — to handle
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. pitch — completely
  22. ground — the earth
  23. net — for catching
  24. object — to protest

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