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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. firm — a company
  3. club — for golf
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. game — a match
  6. staff — employees
  7. net — for catching
  8. bore — to tire
  9. staff — employees
  10. club — a group
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. firm — steady
  13. club — for dancing
  14. net — after costs
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. ball — a dance
  17. staff — a stick
  18. net — in sport
  19. firm — decided
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. bore — to drill
  24. ball — a great time

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