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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: ground · kick · wind · club · chair · bulb

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. wind — moving air
  3. kick — in football
  4. ground — a position
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. bulb — for light
  7. ground — crushed
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bulb — for light
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. club — for golf
  17. wind — moving air
  18. kick — a thrill

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