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

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. kick — in football
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rest — what's left
  5. toast — a drink to someone
  6. rest — a break
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. rest — what's left
  9. game — a match
  10. ground — crushed
  11. club — a group
  12. toast — bread
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. ball — a dance
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. ball — a great time
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. ground — a position
  19. tear — to rip
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. club — for dancing
  22. tear — from crying
  23. game — wild animals
  24. tear — from crying

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