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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: row · leaves · kick · game · spell · firm · mouse · pit

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. pit — a hole
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. firm — steady
  5. game — wild animals
  6. row — a line
  7. firm — a company
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. spell — a short time
  13. firm — decided
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — in a race
  16. spell — magic
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. row — to paddle
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kick — in football
  22. game — a match
  23. spell — letters
  24. leaves — of a tree

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