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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. staff — employees
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. ground — the earth
  5. staff — a stick
  6. track — a path
  7. track — to keep track
  8. prune — to trim
  9. bass — the fish
  10. kick — in football
  11. track — a song
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. ground — crushed
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. bass — low music
  18. prune — to trim
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. staff — employees
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ground — a position
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mine — for digging

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