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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rule — a law
  4. can — a tin
  5. net — after costs
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. net — for catching
  10. content — happy
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. march — music
  14. march — the month
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — to handle
  17. kick — in football
  18. can — to be able to
  19. march — the month
  20. rule — government
  21. content — the amount
  22. net — in sport
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. kick — a thrill

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