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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 116 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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. mate — a friend
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. object — a thing
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. object — to protest
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. drill — army training
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. kick — in football
  22. object — an aim
  23. mate — a partner
  24. game — wild animals

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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