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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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. ball — a dance
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ball — a great time
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. kick — in football
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. club — for dancing
  14. club — a group
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. rush — hurry
  17. club — for golf
  18. craft — boats
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. craft — a skill
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. kick — a thrill

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