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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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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: land · sharp · foot · cell · pitch · rock · staff · kick

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. staff — a stick
  3. cell — a phone
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. land — a country
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. land — to come down
  11. cell — in biology
  12. staff — employees
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. rock — music
  16. pitch — completely
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. kick — in football
  19. land — ground
  20. sharp — clever
  21. foot — a measure
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. rock — a stone

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