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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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468
Word bank
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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mate — a friend
  3. mark — a trace
  4. capital — a big letter
  5. mate — a partner
  6. kick — in football
  7. key — for a lock
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. capital — a city
  13. key — in music
  14. capital — money
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mate — to breed
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. perch — the fish
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. key — the most important part

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