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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 120 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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. club — for golf
  5. staff — employees
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. file — a tool
  9. file — a document
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. file — a line of people
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — for catching
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. saw — the tool
  22. net — in sport
  23. staff — employees
  24. staff — a stick

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