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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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. kick — in football
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pit — in a race
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bound — obliged
  13. bound — certain
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — a face
  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