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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. club — for golf
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. drill — army training
  7. clip — for paper
  8. drill — a practice
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. perch — the fish
  11. board — to get on
  12. kick — in football
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. clip — to cut
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. clip — a video
  18. club — a group
  19. club — for dancing
  20. board — a committee
  21. drill — the tool
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. perch — for a bird

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