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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 116 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. club — for golf
  6. stand — to bear
  7. game — wild animals
  8. fine — high quality
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. game — a match
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. hand — in cards
  16. fine — all right
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. fall — the season
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bat — the animal
  22. hand — help
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. fall — to drop

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