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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: deal · board · mouse · pitch · cell · suit · sharp · kick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitch — completely
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. cell — in biology
  9. board — to get on
  10. deal — to handle
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cell — a phone
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. board — a committee
  15. suit — in cards
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. sharp — clever
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. suit — clothes
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. kick — in football

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