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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. club — for golf
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. bark — to shout
  5. staff — employees
  6. suit — in cards
  7. staff — a stick
  8. bear — the animal
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. hand — help
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. club — a group
  14. bear — the animal
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. suit — clothes
  17. hand — in cards
  18. kid — child
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. suit — to fit
  21. foot — a measure
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. staff — employees
  24. kid — to tease

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