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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. present — there
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. deal — to handle
  7. present — a gift
  8. kick — in football
  9. game — a match
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — for dancing
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — wild animals
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. pound — a weight
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. club — a group
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. deal — a big deal

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