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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mate — to breed
  5. mate — a friend
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. mate — a partner
  11. pop — soda
  12. current — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. current — electric
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. pop — to visit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. stand — to bear
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. pop — music
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. current — happening now

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