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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. mate — a friend
  4. ball — a great time
  5. saw — the tool
  6. fork — in a road
  7. swing — in golf
  8. ball — a dance
  9. mate — to breed
  10. kick — in football
  11. race — the arms race
  12. swing — music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. saw — the tool
  16. race — humankind
  17. swing — to play on
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. race — a contest
  21. pitch — completely
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. mate — a partner
  24. pitch — a sports field

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