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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. current — of water
  5. ball — a dance
  6. fine — all right
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. kick — in football
  9. stock — goods
  10. key — in music
  11. current — happening now
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. fine — high quality
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. perch — the fish
  18. ball — a great time
  19. stock — shares
  20. key — the most important part
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. current — electric
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. key — for a lock

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