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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. kick — in football
  7. race — the arms race
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. dip — to sink
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. board — a committee
  18. deal — to handle
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. board — to get on
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. dip — to dunk

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