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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.

Make a worksheet

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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. mug — a face
  3. key — in music
  4. ball — a dance
  5. wound — an injury
  6. kick — in football
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. field — farmland
  10. mug — a cup
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. field — a subject
  13. field — for sport
  14. ball — a great time
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. key — the most important part
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. squash — the sport
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. key — for a lock
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. wound — an injury

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