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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. capital — a big letter
  3. rock — music
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. rock — a stone
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. capital — a city
  15. plane — a tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. capital — money
  19. swing — in golf
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. swing — music
  24. swing — to play on

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