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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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  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. kick — a thrill
  2. club — for golf
  3. saw — the tool
  4. date — the fruit
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. stock — shares
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. saw — the tool
  22. stock — goods
  23. kick — in football
  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