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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. root — of a plant
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. swing — in golf
  6. club — a group
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. swing — music
  9. kick — in football
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. root — of a word
  12. deal — to handle
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. root — the cause
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. fork — in a road
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. club — for dancing
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. swing — to play on
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. deal — a big deal

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