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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 124 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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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. pitch — a sales talk
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. bulb — for light
  7. rash — hasty
  8. staff — a stick
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. present — there
  11. board — a committee
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. board — to get on
  14. present — the time now
  15. rash — a series
  16. roll — a list
  17. staff — employees
  18. present — a gift
  19. pitch — completely
  20. kick — in football
  21. staff — employees
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. roll — a cake

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