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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ground — crushed
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. ground — the earth
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. firm — decided
  12. date — the fruit
  13. kick — in football
  14. march — the month
  15. ground — a position
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. firm — steady
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. sharp — clever
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — a company

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