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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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. kick — in football
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. craft — a skill
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. dip — to sink
  12. sharp — clever
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. club — for dancing
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — a group
  18. craft — boats
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. foot — a measure
  22. game — a match
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. game — wild animals

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