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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. object — a thing
  4. kick — in football
  5. spring — of water
  6. game — a match
  7. tube — a container
  8. cue — for pool
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. cue — a hint
  13. tube — the underground
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. object — an aim
  20. game — wild animals
  21. object — to protest
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. pitch — completely
  24. cue — a signal

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