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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. degree — an amount
  5. lie — to recline
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pitch — completely
  11. hand — help
  12. degree — from a university
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — temperature
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — to get on
  24. bowl — to roll

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