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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 120 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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. object — an aim
  5. board — a committee
  6. object — to protest
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. mug — a face
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. object — a thing
  14. board — to get on
  15. mug — a cup
  16. bear — the animal
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bat — the animal
  24. bat — in an idiom

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