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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mug — a face
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. fork — in a road
  6. can — to be able to
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — a cup
  9. can — a tin
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pound — a weight
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. can — a tin
  19. mug — to rob
  20. degree — an amount
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. degree — from a university
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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