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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  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. foot — a measure
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cell — in biology
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. capital — a city
  13. kick — in football
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. cell — a phone
  16. capital — money
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. chair — a leader
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bay — a horse colour
  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