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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. object — to protest
  4. game — a match
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. mug — a cup
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. game — wild animals
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — a thing
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. lie — to recline
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. mug — to rob
  19. mug — a face
  20. object — an aim
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. pound — a weight

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