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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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. march — music
  3. kick — in football
  4. dip — to sink
  5. ball — a great time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. current — happening now
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. current — of water
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. current — electric
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ball — a dance

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