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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. ground — a position
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ground — crushed
  6. mug — to rob
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. season — of the year
  17. kick — in football
  18. date — the fruit
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. season — in sport
  23. mug — a face
  24. ground — the earth

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