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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. key — in music
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. key — for a lock
  7. kick — in football
  8. foot — a measure
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. chip — for betting
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. race — humankind
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. race — the arms race
  20. key — the most important part
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. chip — to eat
  23. race — a contest
  24. chair — a leader

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