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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. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. chip — to eat
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — in football
  5. season — of the year
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. chip — for betting
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — to protest
  12. mouse — for a computer
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. bore — to tire
  17. season — in sport
  18. object — a thing
  19. object — an aim
  20. mark — a grade
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bore — to drill
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. mark — a trace

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