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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. mug — a face
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. bass — low music
  7. capital — money
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. capital — a city
  12. mug — a cup
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. bass — the fish
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. spell — magic
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mug — to rob
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. spell — a short time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. spell — letters
  24. capital — a big letter

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