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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: pitch · net · craft · bear · mouse · calf · rash · kick

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kick — in football
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — for catching
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — the animal
  10. rash — a series
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. rash — hasty
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. net — in sport
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. rash — on the skin

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