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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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Word bank
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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: row · kick · sharp · board · charge · pitch · arm · face

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. board — a committee
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. charge — a price
  10. kick — in football
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. charge — in control
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. board — to get on
  17. charge — electricity
  18. face — part of the head
  19. sharp — clever
  20. face — to confront
  21. row — to paddle
  22. face — to point toward
  23. row — a line
  24. arm — part of the body

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