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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: drill · board · kick · cue · game · pitch · deal · wake

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. pitch — completely
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. game — a match
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. drill — army training
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. deal — to handle
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. drill — the tool
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. kick — in football
  19. cue — a signal
  20. cue — for pool
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cue — a hint
  23. wake — a trail
  24. game — wild animals

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