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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 120 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rock — a stone
  5. tube — a container
  6. spell — letters
  7. pitch — completely
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — of water
  10. mark — a grade
  11. spell — a short time
  12. current — electric
  13. spell — magic
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. kick — in football
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. tube — the underground
  19. current — happening now
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. deal — to handle
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. deal — an agreement

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