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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. present — there
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. bear — the animal
  8. band — a ring
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. stand — to bear
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. kick — in football
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a music group
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. present — a gift
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bear — the animal

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