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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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. cue — a signal
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. current — electric
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — for digging
  11. track — to keep track
  12. ball — a great time
  13. current — of water
  14. present — there
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. current — happening now
  17. track — a path
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. present — the time now
  20. track — a song
  21. cue — a hint
  22. ball — a dance
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. fork — in a road

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