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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. kick — in football
  3. wake — a trail
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — a permit
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. rock — a stone
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. bass — the fish
  12. ground — a position
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. ground — the earth
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. content — happy
  18. rock — music
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. content — the amount
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. squash — to crush
  23. ground — crushed
  24. bass — low music

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