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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — for dancing
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. race — humankind
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. club — a group
  8. fine — all right
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. season — in sport
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — in sport
  14. fine — high quality
  15. season — of the year
  16. race — a contest
  17. race — the arms race
  18. chip — to eat
  19. lash — a whip stroke
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — after costs
  24. chip — for betting

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