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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: pitch · game · kick · fine · press · club · ball · deal

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. I assure you, everything's ________________.

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. game — a kind of play
  4. pitch — completely
  5. club — a group
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. press — a publisher
  8. press — newspapers
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. game — a match
  14. game — wild animals
  15. deal — to handle
  16. kick — in football
  17. fine — high quality
  18. club — for dancing
  19. club — for golf
  20. ball — a great time
  21. press — to push
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a dance
  24. fine — all right

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