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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 116 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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bass — the fish
  4. club — for dancing
  5. court — of a king
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — in football
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. court — for sport
  11. club — for golf
  12. bear — the animal
  13. court — of law
  14. hand — help
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bore — to tire
  18. bore — to drill
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. hand — in cards
  21. bass — low music
  22. club — a group
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bear — to put up with

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