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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. kick — in football
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. key — in music
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. race — the arms race
  17. race — a contest
  18. chip — to eat
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — the most important part
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. sharp — clever
  24. calf — of the leg

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