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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: calf · mate · pitch · rush · key · kid · pound · cap

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. kid — to tease
  3. key — in music
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. pitch — completely
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. cap — a lid
  11. cap — of ice
  12. key — the most important part
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mate — a friend
  15. cap — a hat
  16. mate — to breed
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. pound — a weight
  19. key — for a lock
  20. mate — a partner
  21. kid — child
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. rush — hurry

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