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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 120 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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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. calf — a young animal
  4. game — wild animals
  5. ground — the earth
  6. game — a match
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. dip — to sink
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ground — a position
  11. charge — in control
  12. charge — a price
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — crushed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bank — of a river
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. club — a group
  22. bank — for money
  23. charge — electricity
  24. dip — a sauce

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