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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 120 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's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. track — to keep track
  5. field — farmland
  6. dip — to sink
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mate — a partner
  10. track — a song
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. kick — in football
  13. mate — a friend
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. field — a subject
  20. object — an aim
  21. field — for sport
  22. object — a thing
  23. track — a path
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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