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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.

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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: kick · lash · pitch · key · stock · mate · spring · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. spring — the season
  5. kid — child
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. mate — a friend
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. mate — a partner
  12. kid — to tease
  13. stock — goods
  14. pitch — completely
  15. mate — to breed
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. spring — of water
  18. kick — in football
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. spring — a coil
  22. key — for a lock
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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