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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  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. ground — a position
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. branch — a division
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. cue — a hint
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for golf
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. cue — a signal
  10. game — a match
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. ground — crushed
  13. kid — to tease
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. kid — child
  16. game — wild animals
  17. ground — the earth
  18. craft — boats
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. snap — to click
  22. cue — for pool
  23. craft — a skill
  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