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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: pitch · kick · dip · coach · pass · row · bowl · straw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. dip — to sink
  5. kick — in football
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. pitch — completely
  8. row — a line
  9. row — to paddle
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. pass — to spend time
  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