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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 116 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: staff · plane · mug · race · pitch · kick · can · perch

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. race — humankind
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitch — completely
  6. staff — employees
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. race — a contest
  9. mug — a cup
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. perch — the fish
  12. race — the arms race
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. staff — a stick
  16. can — a tin
  17. plane — a tool
  18. mug — a face
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. pitch — a sports field

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