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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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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 · pitch · foot · present · file · kick · pound · fine

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kick — in football
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. saw — the tool
  5. file — a document
  6. file — a line of people
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitch — completely
  12. foot — a measure
  13. present — there
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fine — all right
  16. pound — a weight
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. fine — high quality
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. saw — the tool
  24. file — a 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