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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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. rash — hasty
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. club — for golf
  6. rash — a series
  7. drill — army training
  8. cell — in biology
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. snap — to click
  12. rock — music
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. rock — a stone
  18. pitch — completely
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. club — for dancing
  22. drill — the tool
  23. club — a group
  24. kick — in football

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