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

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. craft — a skill
  6. swing — music
  7. craft — boats
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cap — a hat
  12. pitch — completely
  13. cap — a lid
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. swing — in golf
  18. plane — a tool
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. swing — to play on
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. pit — in a race
  24. cap — of ice

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