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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. ground — a position
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. ground — crushed
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. kick — in football
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ground — the earth
  14. pit — a hole
  15. club — for dancing
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pit — in a race
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. club — a group
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. ball — a great time
  23. ball — a dance
  24. club — for golf

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