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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. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pit — a hole
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. march — the month
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. game — a match
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. face — to confront
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. march — music
  18. face — to point toward
  19. pit — in a race
  20. kick — in football
  21. march — the month
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. face — part of the head
  24. mouse — the animal

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