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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.

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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: fan · kick · rock · pitch · sharp · game · rule · object

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. object — a thing
  6. rock — a stone
  7. object — to protest
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. rule — a law
  12. game — a match
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rule — government
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. pitch — completely
  19. object — an aim
  20. kick — in football
  21. rock — music
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. rock — to move gently

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