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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. club — for golf
  6. mug — a face
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. board — to get on
  11. mug — a cup
  12. mug — to rob
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. club — for dancing
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. club — a group
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — in football
  22. game — wild animals
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. board — a committee

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