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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. hand — in cards
  3. suit — to fit
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — for golf
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. kid — to tease
  11. bass — the fish
  12. hand — help
  13. kid — child
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. club — a group
  16. kick — in football
  17. stand — to bear
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. suit — clothes
  24. bass — low music

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