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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: row · fine · present · shower · saw · net · mug · pitch

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. pitch — completely
  3. row — a line
  4. present — the time now
  5. present — there
  6. mug — a face
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mug — a cup
  9. fine — high quality
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. saw — the tool
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — in sport
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. present — a gift
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. shower — rain
  18. net — after costs
  19. row — to paddle
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fine — all right
  22. saw — the tool
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. net — for catching

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