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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. hand — in cards
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. last — to go on
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. key — the most important part
  9. snap — to click
  10. ground — a position
  11. club — for dancing
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. ground — crushed
  14. club — a group
  15. key — in music
  16. ground — the earth
  17. last — final
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. key — for a lock
  20. last — finally
  21. mug — to rob
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. club — for golf
  24. hand — part of the body

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