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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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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: pit · fork · sharp · rash · last · racket · track · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. last — finally
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. track — a song
  10. rash — a series
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. last — final
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fork — in a road
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. sharp — clever
  20. last — to go on
  21. track — a path
  22. track — to keep track
  23. pit — a hole
  24. pit — in a race

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