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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 120 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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. ball — a great time
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. charge — a price
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. charge — in control
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. ball — a dance
  12. degree — an amount
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. charge — electricity
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. degree — temperature
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. fork — in a road

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