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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. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. kick — in football
  4. court — of a king
  5. pound — a weight
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. net — for catching
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. can — a tin
  12. pitch — completely
  13. net — in sport
  14. court — for sport
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. net — after costs
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. can — to be able to
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. court — of law

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