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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. kick — in football
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ball — a great time
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. ball — a dance
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. club — for golf
  13. shower — rain
  14. club — a group
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. kid — child
  17. deal — to handle
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. pass — a permit
  20. kid — to tease
  21. shower — to wash
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. club — for dancing

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