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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. ball — a great time
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. capital — a city
  10. ball — a dance
  11. perch — the fish
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. object — an aim
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. capital — money
  19. object — to protest
  20. object — a thing
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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