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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. club — a group
  4. arm — a part of something
  5. firm — steady
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. kick — in football
  9. prune — to trim
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. pop — to visit
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — a company
  14. game — a match
  15. club — for golf
  16. prune — to trim
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pop — soda
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. firm — decided

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