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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 116 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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. ball — a dance
  3. kick — in football
  4. season — in sport
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ball — a great time
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. current — happening now
  14. press — a publisher
  15. press — newspapers
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. current — electric
  18. pitch — completely
  19. press — to push
  20. current — of water
  21. season — of the year
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. nail — on a finger

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