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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: rock · cabinet · pound · mate · kick · kid · fork · dip

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. kick — in football
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fork — in a road
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pound — a weight
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. kid — child
  11. mate — a partner
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mate — to breed
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. dip — to sink
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. mate — a friend

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