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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. sharp — clever
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. fall — to drop
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. fall — to drop
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. fall — the season
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. board — a committee
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitch — completely
  18. foot — a measure
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. kick — in football

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