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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. mate — to breed
  3. track — a song
  4. chip — to eat
  5. kick — in football
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. mate — a partner
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. track — a path
  14. track — to keep track
  15. mate — a friend
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ground — crushed
  19. suit — clothes
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. chip — for betting
  22. suit — to fit
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. chip — in a computer

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