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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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kick — with a leg
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. mug — to rob
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. club — a group
  9. ground — a position
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. row — a line
  14. mug — a face
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. club — for golf
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. ground — the earth
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. kick — in football
  24. pitcher — a jug

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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