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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. mug — to rob
  3. pitch — completely
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. court — of a king
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. mug — a cup
  12. wake — a trail
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. object — a thing
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. object — an aim
  17. kick — in football
  18. court — of law
  19. court — for sport
  20. sharp — clever
  21. pass — a permit
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. object — to protest

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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