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

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. pound — a weight
  4. kid — to tease
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. snap — to click
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. kid — child
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. club — for golf
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. sharp — clever
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. club — for dancing
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pound — for dogs

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