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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: rock · pitcher · bank · kick · rule · hand · sharp · pitch

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rule — government
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. hand — help
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rock — music
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bank — of a river
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — completely
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. sharp — clever
  20. bank — for money
  21. rock — a stone
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. rule — a law

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