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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.

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: straw · foot · hand · board · pitch · bowl · rush · snap

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. foot — a measure
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. board — a committee
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — help
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. rush — hurry
  18. board — to get on
  19. pitch — completely
  20. snap — to click
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. foot — part of the body

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