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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. last — final
  9. board — a committee
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a friend
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mate — a partner
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. pass — a permit
  18. last — finally
  19. kick — in football
  20. board — to get on
  21. last — to go on
  22. bear — the animal
  23. pitch — completely
  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