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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. can — a tin
  4. dip — to sink
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. field — for sport
  10. can — a tin
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ball — a dance
  13. field — farmland
  14. kick — in football
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. can — to be able to
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. chair — a leader
  19. field — a subject
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. ball — a great time
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. chair — a professorship

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