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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. club — a group
  5. club — for dancing
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. club — for golf
  8. fine — high quality
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. key — the most important part
  11. bulb — for light
  12. fine — all right
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bass — low music
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. hand — help
  19. kid — child
  20. bass — the fish
  21. key — in music
  22. key — for a lock
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. bulb — for light

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