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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: ground · kick · cap · pitch · board · mug · swing · patient

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. mug — to rob
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mug — a cup
  6. swing — in golf
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mug — a face
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. board — to get on
  13. ground — a position
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a hat
  17. swing — music
  18. ground — the earth
  19. cap — a lid
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. board — a committee
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. pitch — completely
  24. swing — to play on

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