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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. mark — a grade
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. season — in sport
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. kick — in football
  12. board — to get on
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. pitch — completely
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. board — a committee
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mark — a trace
  20. season — of the year
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. dip — to sink
  24. pitch — a sports field

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