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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 124 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: kick · stock · key · charge · march · lash · foot · pitch

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. charge — electricity
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. key — the most important part
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — completely
  10. key — in music
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. march — the month
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. march — music
  15. key — for a lock
  16. march — the month
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. charge — in control
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. foot — a measure
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. stock — a soup base

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