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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. suit — to fit
  3. roll — a list
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. season — in sport
  6. ball — a great time
  7. pit — a hole
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. net — after costs
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. season — of the year
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. kick — in football
  15. net — for catching
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. net — in sport
  18. sharp — clever
  19. ball — a dance
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. suit — clothes
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pit — in a race
  24. roll — a cake

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