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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. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a committee
  2. scale — in music
  3. season — in sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. kick — in football
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. scale — size or range
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. season — of the year
  14. lash — to lash out
  15. board — to get on
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. pitch — completely
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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