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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. toast — bread
  6. bark — to shout
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. march — the month
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. pass — a permit
  16. can — to be able to
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. march — the month

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