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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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. hand — help
  3. object — an aim
  4. bear — the animal
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — a group
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. bear — the animal
  15. object — to protest
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hand — in cards
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — for dancing
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. arm — part of the body

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