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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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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. roll — a list
  5. kick — in football
  6. object — a thing
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kid — child
  9. object — to protest
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. board — a committee
  12. roll — a cake
  13. foot — a measure
  14. file — a tool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. file — a document
  18. pitch — completely
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. kid — to tease
  22. object — an aim
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. board — to get on

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