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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. game — a match
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. object — an aim
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. ball — a great time
  12. game — wild animals
  13. object — a thing
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitch — completely
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — in football
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. object — to protest
  24. game — a kind of play

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