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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. rash — a series
  5. branch — of a bank
  6. rash — hasty
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pop — to visit
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. degree — an amount
  16. pop — soda
  17. branch — of a tree
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. branch — a division
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pop — music
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. degree — from a university

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