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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: spell · rush · kick · craft · fine · prune · mark · pitch

  1. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. fine — high quality
  3. rush — hurry
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — completely
  6. craft — a skill
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. mark — a trace
  10. prune — to trim
  11. craft — boats
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. mark — a grade
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. kick — in football
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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