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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: cap · pitcher · fan · wound · pit · fall · kick · present

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pit — in a race
  5. cap — of ice
  6. present — a gift
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. wound — an injury
  9. kick — in football
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. present — there
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fall — to drop
  15. pit — a hole
  16. fall — the season
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. cap — a hat
  19. present — the time now
  20. cap — a lid
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. wound — an injury
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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