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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitch — completely
  3. kick — in football
  4. bass — the fish
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. bark — to shout
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. key — in music
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. key — for a lock
  13. bass — low music
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. key — the most important part
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. deal — to handle
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. rush — hurry
  24. deal — a big deal

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