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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. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. staff — employees
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. staff — a stick
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — a permit
  11. board — a committee
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. wind — moving air
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. kick — in football
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. foot — a measure
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. board — to get on
  24. pitch — completely

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