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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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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: saw · kick · last · net · pit · bound · pitch · fan

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bound — certain
  6. pit — a hole
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. net — in sport
  9. last — final
  10. pitch — completely
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. net — for catching
  13. bound — obliged
  14. net — after costs
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. last — finally
  18. kick — in football
  19. bound — tied together
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — to go on
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. saw — the tool

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