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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. object — to protest
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. game — wild animals
  5. pitch — completely
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. branch — a division
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kick — in football
  10. game — a match
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. row — a line
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. row — to paddle
  16. foot — a measure
  17. season — in sport
  18. object — an aim
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. object — a thing
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. season — of the year

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