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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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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: saw · kick · pitch · game · content · board · object · race

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. saw — the tool
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. board — a committee
  5. game — wild animals
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. saw — the tool
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — a thing
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. race — a contest
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. pitch — completely
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. race — the arms race
  16. kick — in football
  17. race — humankind
  18. content — happy
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. board — to get on
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. object — an aim
  24. content — the amount

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