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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. deal — to handle
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. perch — the fish
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. mine — for digging
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bore — to tire
  16. squash — to crush
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. club — for golf
  22. squash — the sport
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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