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

Word bank: kid · bass · kick · fine · foot · pit · lie · object

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bass — the fish
  3. object — an aim
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. pit — in a race
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. bass — low music
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. kid — to tease
  11. kick — in football
  12. kid — child
  13. fine — high quality
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. foot — a measure
  19. pit — a hole
  20. object — to protest
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. fine — all right
  24. object — a thing

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