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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.

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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: file · kick · bay · fork · rush · cap · pitch · rock

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. cap — a lid
  4. rock — music
  5. rush — hurry
  6. file — a document
  7. pitch — completely
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. file — a tool
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. cap — a hat
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. rock — a stone
  15. file — a line of people
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. kick — in football
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — to eat with

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