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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. board — to get on
  3. object — to protest
  4. suit — clothes
  5. land — to come down
  6. object — a thing
  7. suit — to fit
  8. land — a country
  9. object — an aim
  10. present — a gift
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. present — the time now
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — for sport
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. court — of law
  21. present — there
  22. board — a committee
  23. land — ground
  24. kick — in football

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