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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: pitcher · fall · can · current · bay · pitch · foot · kick

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. can — a tin
  4. current — of water
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. can — a tin
  8. fall — to drop
  9. pitch — completely
  10. can — to be able to
  11. fall — the season
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. kick — in football
  22. current — happening now
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. current — electric

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