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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: pitch · ground · kick · bank · fan · can · game · wound

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. bank — for money
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. ground — crushed
  7. wound — an injury
  8. can — to be able to
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wound — an injury
  12. can — a tin
  13. game — a match
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. ground — a position
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. can — a tin
  24. game — wild animals

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