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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: game · sharp · last · pitch · kick · dip · fan · bay

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. last — finally
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. game — wild animals
  12. last — final
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. sharp — clever
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. pitch — completely
  23. game — a match
  24. dip — to dunk

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