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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. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. wound — an injury
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. kick — in football
  7. staff — a stick
  8. wound — an injury
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — completely
  11. last — to go on
  12. race — humankind
  13. last — final
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. staff — employees
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. last — finally
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — a contest
  21. staff — employees
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. deal — to handle

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