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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. kick — in football
  4. present — a gift
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pitch — completely
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — to tease
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — a committee
  11. firm — steady
  12. capital — money
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. board — to get on
  15. capital — a city
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. present — there
  19. firm — decided
  20. kid — child
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. present — the time now
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. firm — a company

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