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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. club — a group
  3. club — for golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. staff — employees
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — hurry
  9. kick — in football
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. club — for dancing
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. staff — a stick
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. swing — in golf
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. swing — music
  19. track — to keep track
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. track — a path
  22. staff — employees
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. kick — with a leg

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