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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: rest · bay · foot · file · tear · kick · racket · pitch

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. file — a tool
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kick — in football
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. file — a line of people
  9. file — a document
  10. rest — what's left
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. rest — a break
  13. pitch — completely
  14. tear — from crying
  15. tear — from crying
  16. foot — a measure
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. tear — to rip

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