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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — a measure
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. field — for sport
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. board — a committee
  12. field — farmland
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. field — a subject
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. board — to get on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. kick — a thrill

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