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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. rock — a stone
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. board — a flat piece
  11. rock — music
  12. content — the amount
  13. content — happy
  14. board — to get on
  15. board — a committee
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. sharp — clever
  19. bore — to drill
  20. kick — in football
  21. branch — a division
  22. game — a match
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. bore — to tire

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