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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: rule · pound · cue · kick · perch · pitch · hand · trunk

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. perch — the fish
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. rule — government
  7. cue — a hint
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. hand — help
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. hand — in cards
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. pound — a weight
  14. cue — for pool
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. cue — a signal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pitch — completely
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. rule — a law

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