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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. spring — the season
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. chip — for betting
  9. kick — in football
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for golf
  13. mine — for digging
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. spring — a coil
  18. charge — electricity
  19. club — a group
  20. spring — of water
  21. charge — in control
  22. club — for dancing
  23. chip — to eat
  24. charge — a price

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