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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. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sports field
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. can — a tin
  6. ground — the earth
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. spell — magic
  9. ground — a position
  10. can — to be able to
  11. ground — crushed
  12. spell — a short time
  13. wind — to turn a key
  14. pitch — completely
  15. board — to get on
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. wind — moving air
  20. wind — moving air
  21. spell — letters
  22. can — a tin
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. board — a committee

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