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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: game · pit · foot · pitcher · stick · sharp · net · cap

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. foot — a measure
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. game — wild animals
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. game — a match
  10. cap — a hat
  11. net — after costs
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. sharp — clever
  14. pit — in a race
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pit — a hole
  20. net — for catching
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — in sport
  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