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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. drill — the tool
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — a friend
  8. sharp — clever
  9. chip — to eat
  10. ball — a great time
  11. court — of law
  12. kick — in football
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. court — for sport
  16. chip — for betting
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. bear — the animal
  19. mate — to breed
  20. ball — a dance
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. bear — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. sharp — with an edge

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