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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. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. land — to come down
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. key — for a lock
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. key — in music
  8. board — to get on
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. mate — a friend
  12. board — a committee
  13. key — the most important part
  14. land — a country
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. mate — a partner
  17. kick — in football
  18. land — ground
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. pitch — completely
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mate — to breed
  24. racket — a loud noise

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