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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 116 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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  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. game — a kind of play
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. rash — a series
  5. last — to go on
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — hasty
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. pitch — completely
  15. last — finally
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. game — a match
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kick — in football
  20. stand — to bear
  21. last — final
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. game — wild animals
  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