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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 120 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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. cue — a hint
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. firm — decided
  8. kick — in football
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. field — farmland
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. band — a music group
  14. field — for sport
  15. band — a ring
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — a company
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cue — a signal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. cue — for pool
  22. sharp — clever
  23. field — a subject
  24. kick — a thrill

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