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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 120 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: sharp · mine · rush · net · key · pitch · kick · can

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. sharp — clever
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rush — hurry
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. can — a tin
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. key — in music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. key — for a lock
  14. mine — for digging
  15. kick — in football
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. can — to be able to
  18. net — in sport
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pitch — completely
  22. net — for catching
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. can — a tin

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