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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 · racket · fan · wake · net · chest · rush · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. net — after costs
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. net — in sport
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. chest — of your body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — a trail
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. rush — hurry
  19. net — for catching
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. fan — to cool the air

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