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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. scale — in music
  5. shower — to wash
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. board — to get on
  8. cell — in biology
  9. can — a tin
  10. cell — a phone
  11. pitch — completely
  12. mug — a face
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. board — a committee
  16. mug — to rob
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. shower — rain
  19. can — to be able to
  20. kick — in football
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. mug — a cup
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cell — in a prison

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