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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 124 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. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. track — a song
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. shower — to wash
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. ground — crushed
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. track — to keep track
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. track — a path
  20. fork — in a road
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. ground — a position
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. perch — the fish

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