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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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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 · wind · kick · cap · bulb · mark · lash · temple

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. mark — a trace
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. lash — a whip stroke
  7. pitch — completely
  8. wind — moving air
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. cap — a lid
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. kick — in football
  13. mark — a grade
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. cap — of ice
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bulb — for light
  19. wind — moving air
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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