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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. It's one o'clock ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I've got to change the light ________________.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. pop — to visit
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — a phone
  9. can — a tin
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — soda
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. sharp — exactly
  19. can — a tin
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. sharp — clever
  24. can — to be able to

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