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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a dance
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. row — to paddle
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — to bend
  9. net — in sport
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. net — for catching
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. net — after costs
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. stock — shares
  17. saw — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. mark — a trace
  20. lean — thin
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. row — a line
  24. ball — a great time

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