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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. bass — the fish
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. cap — of ice
  5. spell — letters
  6. cap — a lid
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. season — of the year
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. spell — a short time
  15. object — a thing
  16. spell — magic
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. season — in sport
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cap — a hat
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bass — low music

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