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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.

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: pitch · can · file · kick · face · pitcher · staff · season

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. staff — employees
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. face — part of the head
  6. season — of the year
  7. kick — in football
  8. can — to be able to
  9. file — a document
  10. file — a tool
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. file — a line of people
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. face — to point toward
  18. pitch — completely
  19. staff — employees
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. face — to confront
  22. can — a tin
  23. season — in sport
  24. staff — a stick

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