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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. march — the month
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. game — a match
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — the month
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. suit — clothes
  12. mine — for digging
  13. track — a path
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — in football
  18. suit — to fit
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. game — wild animals
  21. track — a song
  22. march — music
  23. track — to keep track
  24. mine — an explosive

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