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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: hand · pitch · track · kick · net · rash · ruler · firm

  1. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  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. rash — a series
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. net — after costs
  4. pitch — completely
  5. track — to keep track
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. firm — a company
  8. rash — hasty
  9. firm — decided
  10. net — for catching
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. hand — help
  13. track — a path
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. firm — steady
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. net — in sport
  20. hand — in cards
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. kick — in football
  23. track — a song
  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