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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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Word bank
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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: suit · kid · kick · net · pitcher · bear · wake · staff

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. suit — to fit
  3. staff — employees
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. staff — employees
  9. wake — a trail
  10. bear — the animal
  11. kid — to tease
  12. bear — the animal
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. staff — a stick
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. net — after costs
  20. suit — in cards
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. suit — clothes
  23. kid — child
  24. net — in sport

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