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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. hand — help
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pop — soda
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. pop — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. face — to confront
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pop — to visit
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. club — a group
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. hand — in cards
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. face — part of the head
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. face — to point toward
  19. club — for dancing
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. deal — to handle
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. deal — a big deal

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