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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: pitch · key · kick · rash · ground · mug · jam · craft

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. ground — crushed
  3. key — the most important part
  4. key — for a lock
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. mug — a cup
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mug — a face
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. craft — a skill
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. key — in music
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitch — completely
  16. rash — hasty
  17. mug — to rob
  18. ground — the earth
  19. rash — a series
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. kick — in football
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. rash — on the skin

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