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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: board · season · present · pitch · degree · lie · stock · kick

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. stock — shares
  6. degree — temperature
  7. lie — to recline
  8. present — a gift
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitch — completely
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. degree — an amount
  13. present — the time now
  14. board — a committee
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. kick — in football
  17. season — of the year
  18. present — there
  19. stock — goods
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. degree — from a university
  24. season — in sport

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