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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: pit · board · roll · game · hide · content · kick · safe

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. game — a match
  3. board — to get on
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. roll — a list
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. roll — a cake
  9. content — the amount
  10. pit — a hole
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. kick — in football
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. board — a committee
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. game — wild animals
  22. content — happy
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pit — in a race

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