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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — a group
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. mine — for digging
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. scale — in music
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. trunk — of a car
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. rule — a law
  15. club — for golf
  16. scale — for weighing
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. scale — size or range
  20. rule — government
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. chair — a leader

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