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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: coach · suit · pitch · hand · mine · kick · calf · craft

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. suit — in cards
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. craft — boats
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. craft — a skill
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. suit — clothes
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. kick — in football
  16. suit — to fit
  17. mine — for digging
  18. hand — help
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. hand — in cards
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. craft — a handicraft
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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