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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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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: net · kick · rush · pop · foot · ball · bark · cabinet

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. He took the fish out of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. bark — of a tree
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. rush — hurry
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bark — to shout
  13. net — in sport
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. ball — a dance
  16. net — after costs
  17. kick — in football
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pop — to visit
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. ball — a great time
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. pop — soda
  24. net — for catching

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