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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. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. perch — the fish
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. row — to paddle
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. game — a match
  17. row — a line
  18. bulb — for light
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. cue — for pool
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bulb — for light
  24. kick — a thrill

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