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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: fan · lean · board · kick · pop · ground · pit · arm

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. ground — a position
  3. lean — to bend
  4. pop — soda
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. board — a committee
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. kick — in football
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. pop — to visit
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pit — in a race
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pop — music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — the earth
  24. ground — crushed

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