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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: board · kick · fork · pitch · present · rule · mate · can

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  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. can — to be able to
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. present — there
  5. rule — a law
  6. can — a tin
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. mate — to breed
  9. mate — a friend
  10. mate — a partner
  11. present — a gift
  12. board — to get on
  13. present — the time now
  14. rule — government
  15. board — a committee
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. pitch — completely
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fork — in a road
  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