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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. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. firm — steady
  3. field — for sport
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. kick — in football
  7. cue — for pool
  8. net — for catching
  9. firm — a company
  10. net — in sport
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. club — for golf
  14. cue — a signal
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. firm — decided
  18. bear — the animal
  19. field — a subject
  20. field — farmland
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. cue — a hint
  24. net — after costs

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