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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. squash — the sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. field — farmland
  12. field — for sport
  13. bass — low music
  14. kick — in football
  15. firm — a company
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. bulb — for light
  19. firm — steady
  20. bass — the fish
  21. squash — to crush
  22. bulb — for light
  23. firm — decided
  24. bulb — of a plant

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