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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. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. club — for dancing
  3. snap — to click
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. stand — to bear
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. row — a line
  10. club — a group
  11. kick — in football
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. fork — in a road
  19. row — to paddle
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. ball — a dance
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. club — for golf

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