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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. can — a tin
  5. file — a tool
  6. can — a tin
  7. swing — to play on
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. march — the month
  12. file — a line of people
  13. swing — in golf
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kick — in football
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. file — a document
  19. bank — for money
  20. march — the month
  21. swing — music
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. can — to be able to
  24. march — music

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