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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 116 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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pop — soda
  3. can — a tin
  4. pop — to visit
  5. rash — a series
  6. pop — music
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. can — to be able to
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. season — of the year
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chip — for betting
  16. chip — to eat
  17. club — for golf
  18. season — in sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. kick — in football
  22. rash — hasty
  23. club — a group
  24. rush — 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