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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: toast · kid · stand · kick · pitch · mate · nail · bat

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. stand — to bear
  6. kid — child
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. toast — bread
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. mate — to breed
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bat — the animal
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. pitch — completely
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mate — a partner
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. kick — in football
  23. mate — a friend
  24. kick — with a leg

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