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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: pop · kick · fan · sharp · net · pit · pound · coach

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. pop — to visit
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. net — after costs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. pop — soda
  12. net — in sport
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. pop — music
  16. kick — in football
  17. net — for catching
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pit — a hole
  22. pit — in a race
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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