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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: land · key · bat · sharp · pound · kick · suit · pitcher

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  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. pound — for dogs
  2. land — a country
  3. land — ground
  4. key — in music
  5. land — to come down
  6. suit — clothes
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. bat — the animal
  10. key — the most important part
  11. sharp — clever
  12. suit — to fit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. kick — in football
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. suit — in cards
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. key — for a lock
  23. sharp — exactly
  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