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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. band — a music group
  6. present — the time now
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. bass — the fish
  11. bass — low music
  12. mate — to breed
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. band — a ring
  18. club — a group
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. club — for golf
  21. chair — a leader
  22. mate — a friend
  23. mate — a partner
  24. present — there

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