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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 took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — for golf
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. kick — in football
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. firm — steady
  12. net — in sport
  13. snap — to click
  14. net — after costs
  15. firm — decided
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. firm — a company
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pitcher — a jug

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