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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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. roll — a cake
  3. present — the time now
  4. present — there
  5. ground — the earth
  6. kick — in football
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. temple — side of the head
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. present — a gift
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. court — of law
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. stand — to bear
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. roll — a list
  19. ground — a position
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. ground — crushed
  22. court — of a king
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. court — for sport

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