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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: mouse · craft · content · net · kick · pitch · bay · rest

  1. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. content — happy
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. craft — a skill
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. rest — a break
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. rest — what's left
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. net — for catching
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. pitch — completely
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. rest — what's left
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. craft — boats
  23. content — the amount
  24. kick — with a leg

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