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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. swing — in golf
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. pitch — completely
  7. face — to point toward
  8. stock — goods
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a great time
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. swing — to play on
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — part of the head
  17. pound — a weight
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. ball — a dance
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stock — shares
  23. foot — a measure
  24. swing — music

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