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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. object — an aim
  4. bound — certain
  5. prune — to trim
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. object — a thing
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ground — crushed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. object — to protest
  14. ground — a position
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bound — tied together
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. kick — in football
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. bat — the animal
  22. ground — the earth
  23. prune — to trim
  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