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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: kick · pitch · trunk · charge · sharp · mark · craft · racket

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. trunk — of a car
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. craft — boats
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. craft — a skill
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. sharp — clever
  12. mark — a trace
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. charge — in control
  17. pitch — completely
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. charge — a price
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. mark — a grade
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. charge — electricity
  24. kick — in football

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