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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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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. sharp — clever
  4. suit — in cards
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. kick — in football
  12. capital — money
  13. scale — size or range
  14. deal — to handle
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. suit — clothes
  19. suit — to fit
  20. track — to keep track
  21. scale — in music
  22. track — a song
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. track — a path

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