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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. chest — of your body
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. scale — in music
  7. mug — to rob
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. scale — size or range
  13. band — a music group
  14. chest — of your body
  15. mug — a face
  16. band — a ring
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. pop — music
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. board — a committee
  21. mug — a cup
  22. chest — a box
  23. board — to get on
  24. kick — a thrill

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