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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: pitch · cell · object · kick · drill · bear · jam · board

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. board — to get on
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. bear — the animal
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. object — an aim
  7. cell — a phone
  8. kick — in football
  9. pitch — completely
  10. drill — a practice
  11. cell — in biology
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. object — a thing
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bear — the animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. board — a committee
  23. drill — the tool
  24. drill — army training

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