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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: kick · object · bowl · foot · arm · march · pit · game

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. bowl — a dish
  3. march — the month
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. game — a match
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. march — music
  8. pit — a hole
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. kick — in football
  12. game — wild animals
  13. pit — in a race
  14. march — the month
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. object — an aim
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. object — to protest
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. foot — a measure
  23. bowl — to roll
  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