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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kick — in football
  3. mark — a trace
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. degree — an amount
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. ground — a position
  13. chair — a leader
  14. rush — hurry
  15. mark — a grade
  16. degree — temperature
  17. ground — the earth
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. dip — to sink
  21. ground — crushed
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. degree — from a university
  24. mouse — for a computer

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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