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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. cue — a signal
  7. pop — soda
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. game — wild animals
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. pop — music
  14. race — the arms race
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. cue — a hint
  17. game — a match
  18. dip — to sink
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. race — humankind
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cue — for pool
  24. race — a contest

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