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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: lash · key · pitch · kick · firm · chest · cue · craft

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. cue — a hint
  3. chest — of your body
  4. kick — in football
  5. cue — a signal
  6. craft — boats
  7. key — for a lock
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. craft — a skill
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. key — in music
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. chest — of your body
  15. chest — a box
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cue — for pool
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. firm — decided
  22. key — the most important part
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. firm — a company

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