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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pit — a hole
  3. land — ground
  4. suit — to fit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. suit — clothes
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — for golf
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. content — happy
  11. club — a group
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitch — completely
  17. pit — in a race
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. suit — in cards
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. content — the amount
  24. land — a country

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