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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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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. mug — to rob
  5. kick — in football
  6. stock — shares
  7. court — for sport
  8. mug — a face
  9. stock — goods
  10. bulb — for light
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mug — a cup
  15. ground — a position
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law

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