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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. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — in football
  4. scale — in music
  5. scale — size or range
  6. squash — the sport
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. squash — to crush
  9. land — to come down
  10. craft — a skill
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. craft — boats
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. ball — a dance
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. land — ground
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. land — a country
  23. mug — to rob
  24. ball — a great time

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