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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bank — for money
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. firm — a company
  6. pop — music
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pop — soda
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. pop — to visit
  13. game — a match
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. bank — for money
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. firm — steady
  20. firm — decided
  21. game — wild animals
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. fork — in a road
  24. racket — a loud noise

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