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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 116 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. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. kick — in football
  6. content — the amount
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fall — the season
  9. content — happy
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. fall — to drop
  13. current — happening now
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. fall — to drop
  19. degree — from a university
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. current — electric
  22. degree — temperature
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. current — of water

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