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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. club — for golf
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. ball — a dance
  9. kick — in football
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. wax — to grow
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. ball — a great time
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. stand — to bear
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — a group
  23. dip — to sink
  24. ball — a round shape

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