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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: bowl · pitch · bay · club · kick · bank · game · lie

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. bank — for money
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. club — for dancing
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. bank — of a river
  11. bank — for money
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. kick — in football
  15. club — for golf
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lie — to recline
  18. club — a group
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. game — wild animals
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. lie — an untruth

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