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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. kick — in football
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. object — to protest
  5. board — a committee
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. kid — child
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. swing — in golf
  12. swing — to play on
  13. object — an aim
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. pop — soda
  17. board — to get on
  18. kid — to tease
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. swing — music
  21. pop — music
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. temple — a place of worship

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