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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. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. snap — to click
  3. club — for golf
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — to handle
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ball — a dance
  9. roll — a cake
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. roll — a list
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — a group
  18. mark — a trace
  19. bass — the fish
  20. mark — a grade
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bass — low music

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