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

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. prune — to trim
  5. present — there
  6. kick — in football
  7. present — the time now
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — a container
  10. pitch — completely
  11. staff — employees
  12. bound — certain
  13. bound — tied together
  14. tube — the underground
  15. staff — a stick
  16. scale — in music
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. staff — employees
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bound — obliged
  23. scale — size or range
  24. present — a gift

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