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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. court — for sport
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mate — to breed
  12. court — of law
  13. wake — a trail
  14. kick — in football
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. board — to get on
  18. mate — a friend
  19. court — of a king
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitch — completely
  23. board — a committee
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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