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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. kid — to tease
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. lie — to recline
  7. row — a line
  8. mug — to rob
  9. mug — a face
  10. rash — a series
  11. kid — child
  12. fine — all right
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for dancing
  15. rash — hasty
  16. row — to paddle
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. club — for golf
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. fine — high quality
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. mug — a cup
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. club — a group

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