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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. key — in music
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. land — ground
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — music
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. pop — soda
  10. key — the most important part
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. pop — music
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. key — for a lock
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. pop — to visit
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. land — a country
  22. march — the month
  23. land — to come down
  24. march — the month

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