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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bass — low music
  6. game — wild animals
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. perch — the fish
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — a law
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bulb — for light
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the fish
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. bulb — of a plant
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. bat — the animal
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — in football

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