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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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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: pit · kick · track · trunk · present · arm · rash · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. kick — in football
  3. track — to keep track
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. track — a path
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. track — a song
  9. pitch — completely
  10. present — a gift
  11. pit — in a race
  12. rash — hasty
  13. present — there
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. rash — a series
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. present — the time now
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. pit — a hole
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. kick — a thrill

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