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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 players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. pitch — completely
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. board — a committee
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. land — a country
  10. file — a document
  11. board — to get on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. file — a tool
  17. land — to come down
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. file — a line of people
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. land — ground
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bore — gave birth

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