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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. mug — a face
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. mug — to rob
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. kick — in football
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. pit — a hole
  18. mug — a cup

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