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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. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. mark — a trace
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. firm — decided
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. firm — a company
  9. pop — soda
  10. pitch — completely
  11. game — wild animals
  12. stand — to bear
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — to visit
  15. mark — a grade
  16. game — a match
  17. drill — the tool
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. kick — in football
  21. firm — steady
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. drill — army training
  24. stand — on your feet

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