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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. fine — all right
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. fine — high quality
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — in football
  11. pop — music
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. stock — goods
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stock — shares
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. pop — soda
  22. pitch — completely
  23. wake — a trail
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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