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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 120 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. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. content — the amount
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. bank — of a river
  6. content — happy
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. rock — music
  10. kick — in football
  11. bank — for money
  12. bass — the fish
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bank — for money
  17. bass — low music
  18. season — of the year
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. season — in sport
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — a thrill

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