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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. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. mug — to rob
  6. field — farmland
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. mug — a face
  9. object — a thing
  10. mug — a cup
  11. kick — in football
  12. field — a subject
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. field — for sport
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. pass — a permit
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. date — the fruit
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. temple — a place of worship

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