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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. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. club — for dancing
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. land — a country
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. kick — in football
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. scale — size or range
  10. board — to get on
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. board — a committee
  13. land — to come down
  14. ground — a position
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. land — ground
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. scale — in music
  24. ground — crushed

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