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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. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. band — a rubber band
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. date — the fruit
  7. band — a ring
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. march — the month
  11. cue — a hint
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. march — the month
  17. kick — in football
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. march — music
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. band — a music group

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