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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · pitch · squash · coach · jam · pop · plane · toast

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. pitch — completely
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. kick — in football
  5. pop — to visit
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. squash — the sport
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. toast — bread
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pop — soda
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. squash — to crush
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. pop — music
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. plane — in geometry

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