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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 120 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. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bark — to shout
  3. ball — a great time
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. field — farmland
  6. firm — decided
  7. firm — a company
  8. mug — a cup
  9. field — a subject
  10. field — for sport
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. kick — in football
  13. mug — a face
  14. deal — to handle
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ball — a dance
  17. swing — music
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — steady
  24. swing — to play on

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