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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 · snap · pitcher · pitch · board · deal · ground · bear

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. board — to get on
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. bear — the animal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. board — a committee
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ground — a position
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ground — the earth
  21. kick — in football
  22. bear — the animal
  23. snap — to click
  24. kick — a thrill

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