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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. mate — to breed
  3. game — wild animals
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. degree — from a university
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. degree — an amount
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. dip — to sink
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. kick — in football
  17. pop — music
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. game — a match
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. degree — temperature
  24. mate — a friend

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