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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. kick — in football
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. race — a contest
  7. cue — for pool
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. cue — a signal
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. pound — a weight
  16. fork — in a road
  17. swing — music
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. race — the arms race
  20. race — humankind
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. swing — in golf
  23. swing — to play on
  24. cue — a hint

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