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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  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. club — for dancing
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. cue — a hint
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. firm — decided
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. club — for golf
  12. cue — a signal
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. kick — in football
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. cue — for pool
  20. firm — a company
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. bat — the animal
  23. fan — a supporter
  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