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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: cap · kick · pitcher · lean · fine · kid · pitch · cue

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fine — all right
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kid — to tease
  5. cap — a lid
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. lean — thin
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. lean — to rest against
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. lean — to bend
  12. pitch — completely
  13. kid — child
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. cap — a hat
  16. kick — in football
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — for pool
  23. fine — high quality
  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