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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. club — a group
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. firm — steady
  6. firm — decided
  7. pound — a weight
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. spell — magic
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spell — a short time
  12. cap — a lid
  13. firm — a company
  14. cap — of ice
  15. club — for golf
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. kick — in football
  20. stock — shares
  21. spell — letters
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. land — to come down
  24. stock — goods

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