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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.

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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 · season · kick · sharp · rush · bear · mouse · jam

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. jam — in traffic
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bear — the animal
  4. bear — the animal
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. pitch — completely
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. season — in sport
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. season — of the year
  18. sharp — clever
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. rush — hurry
  21. kick — in football
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — for a computer

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