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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
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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: present · can · fine · kid · rush · pitch · roll · land

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. can — a tin
  6. kid — to tease
  7. land — to come down
  8. fine — high quality
  9. present — there
  10. roll — a list
  11. land — ground
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. roll — a cake
  14. fine — all right
  15. land — a country
  16. can — a tin
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. can — to be able to
  21. present — the time now
  22. kid — child
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. present — a gift

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