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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. rash — a series
  4. hand — in cards
  5. kick — in football
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lean — to bend
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. rash — hasty
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. land — ground
  18. land — a country
  19. hand — help
  20. land — to come down
  21. lean — thin
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. deal — to handle
  24. lean — to rest against

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