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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ball — a great time
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. present — the time now
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. perch — the fish
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. present — a gift
  16. ball — a dance
  17. club — for golf
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. kick — in football
  21. present — there
  22. wax — to grow
  23. pass — a permit
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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