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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. hand — help
  3. degree — an amount
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. ground — the earth
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bound — certain
  8. degree — temperature
  9. club — for dancing
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. club — for golf
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. bound — obliged
  15. bank — for money
  16. ground — a position
  17. bank — of a river
  18. club — a group
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. ground — crushed
  22. degree — from a university
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bank — for money

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