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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. fork — in a road
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. track — a song
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. pitch — completely
  11. track — a path
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. drill — the tool
  15. prune — to trim
  16. row — a line
  17. drill — army training
  18. row — to paddle
  19. track — to keep track
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. prune — to trim

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