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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — a group
  3. rest — what's left
  4. swing — music
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. swing — in golf
  13. bark — to shout
  14. object — to protest
  15. rest — a break
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rest — what's left
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. object — a thing
  20. kick — in football
  21. club — for golf
  22. object — an aim
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. kick — with a leg

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