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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. present — a gift
  3. swing — to play on
  4. board — a committee
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. present — there
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. snap — to click
  15. present — the time now
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. swing — in golf
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. board — to get on
  24. racket — a loud noise

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