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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. chair — a leader
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. kick — in football
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. dip — to sink
  17. capital — money
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. fine — high quality
  20. capital — a city
  21. roll — a list
  22. roll — a cake
  23. fine — all right
  24. chair — a professorship

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