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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 116 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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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. mine — for digging
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. file — a line of people
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. staff — a stick
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. file — a tool
  15. squash — to crush
  16. rock — a stone
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. staff — employees
  19. squash — the sport
  20. staff — employees
  21. rock — music
  22. file — a document
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. mine — belonging to me

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