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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. staff — a stick
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. staff — employees
  6. ground — crushed
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. club — a group
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. spell — letters
  11. club — for golf
  12. spell — a short time
  13. net — for catching
  14. staff — employees
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. kick — in football
  17. spell — magic
  18. ground — a position
  19. stand — to bear
  20. saw — the tool
  21. net — after costs
  22. saw — the tool
  23. net — in sport
  24. stand — on your feet

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