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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 116 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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. kick — in football
  4. present — a gift
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. degree — temperature
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. present — the time now
  9. degree — from a university
  10. bound — certain
  11. perch — the fish
  12. snap — to click
  13. bat — the animal
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bound — obliged
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. club — a group
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. degree — an amount
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. club — for dancing
  23. present — there
  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