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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: kick · pitch · dip · present · pitcher · band · content · lash

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. content — the amount
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. present — the time now
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. band — a ring
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. present — a gift
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. present — there
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. content — happy
  22. band — a music group
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. pitcher — a jug

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