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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 120 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: stick · pitcher · plane · kick · pop · board · wound · present

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. board — a committee
  4. plane — a tool
  5. wound — an injury
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. board — to get on
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. present — the time now
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. present — a gift
  18. kick — in football
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pop — soda
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pop — to visit
  23. present — there
  24. pop — music

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