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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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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 · bat · kick · press · vault · pitch · deal · ground

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Did you ________________ the button?
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. ground — the earth
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. deal — to handle
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. kick — in football
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. vault — a safe
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. pitch — completely
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — to push
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. ground — crushed
  18. press — newspapers
  19. ground — a position
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — to get on
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bat — the animal

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