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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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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 · stick · pit · kick · prune · object · board · hand

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. board — a committee
  3. board — to get on
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. object — an aim
  6. kick — in football
  7. object — a thing
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pit — a hole
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. hand — in cards
  13. object — to protest
  14. hand — help
  15. prune — to trim
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. prune — to trim
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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