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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — a series
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. march — music
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. march — the month
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. board — a committee
  22. march — the month
  23. foot — a measure
  24. board — to get on

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