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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: pitch · leaves · rash · sharp · fine · jam · kick · staff

  1. It's one o'clock ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — exactly
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. pitch — completely
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fine — high quality
  10. fine — all right
  11. rash — a series
  12. staff — employees
  13. staff — a stick
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. sharp — clever
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. rash — hasty
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. staff — employees
  21. kick — in football
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. kick — with a leg

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