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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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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: pitch · fork · lean · foot · mark · cabinet · stock · kick

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  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. lean — to bend
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pitch — completely
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. fork — in a road
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. stock — shares
  14. stock — goods
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. lean — thin
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. foot — a measure
  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