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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. dip — to sink
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — for dancing
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. wax — to grow
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. court — of law
  21. bear — the animal
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — for sport

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