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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. drill — a practice
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. drill — army training
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. craft — a handicraft
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. kick — in football
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. craft — boats
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. sharp — clever
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pound — a weight
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — to bear
  23. pitch — completely
  24. drill — 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