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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: chair · net · fork · bass · mark · fine · temple · pitch

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. pitch — completely
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. bass — the fish
  7. fork — in a road
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. bass — low music
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. fine — high quality
  12. net — after costs
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. bass — the instrument
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — a grade
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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