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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — completely
  3. suit — to fit
  4. spring — of water
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. kick — in football
  11. wound — an injury
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. spring — the season
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. spring — a coil
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. squash — to crush
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. suit — in cards
  24. kick — with a leg

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