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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. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. kick — in football
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. squash — the sport
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. file — a line of people
  8. ball — a dance
  9. file — a tool
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. current — of water
  12. file — a document
  13. rock — a stone
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. squash — to crush
  16. foot — a measure
  17. current — electric
  18. current — happening now
  19. tube — a container
  20. tube — the underground
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. ball — a great time
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. rock — music

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