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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. drill — the tool
  4. deal — to handle
  5. stock — goods
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. ball — a dance
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. foot — a measure
  11. mug — a face
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. mug — a cup
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. drill — a practice
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. drill — army training
  24. mug — to rob

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