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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. present — the time now
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. fall — to drop
  5. cue — for pool
  6. present — there
  7. stock — shares
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — the cause
  10. fall — to drop
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. cue — a signal
  13. bass — low music
  14. bass — the fish
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. root — of a word
  17. cue — a hint
  18. fall — the season
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. stock — goods
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. present — a gift
  24. root — of a plant

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