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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. land — to come down
  3. land — ground
  4. key — in music
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. rash — a series
  8. land — a country
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to sink
  11. foot — a measure
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. key — the most important part
  14. stock — shares
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. key — for a lock
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stock — goods
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rash — hasty
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. kick — in football

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