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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · mate · pitch · board · present · pound

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. present — there
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pitch — completely
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. kick — in football
  8. present — the time now
  9. mate — a partner
  10. board — to get on
  11. pound — a weight
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — to breed
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. present — a gift
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. board — a committee
  18. pound — for dogs

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