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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. club — for golf
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. rest — what's left
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. rest — a break
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. hand — help
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. suit — clothes
  13. club — a group
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. club — for dancing
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. suit — in cards
  20. suit — to fit
  21. rest — what's left
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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