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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. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. club — for dancing
  4. game — wild animals
  5. club — a group
  6. kick — in football
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. game — a match
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. bear — the animal
  16. wound — an injury
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bowl — to roll
  22. pound — a weight
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. club — for golf

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