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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.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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: leaves · bat · suit · kick · land · firm · club · bass

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. club — for dancing
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — to fit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. land — a country
  9. club — for golf
  10. kick — in football
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. firm — a company
  13. bass — low music
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. bat — the animal
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. firm — steady
  18. bass — the fish
  19. land — ground
  20. land — to come down
  21. firm — decided
  22. club — a group
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. leaves — lets stay

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