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

Word bank: kick · stick · swing · nail · kid · club · track · rash

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. club — a group
  3. rash — hasty
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. kick — in football
  6. swing — in golf
  7. rash — a series
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. kid — child
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. club — for golf
  13. kid — to tease
  14. track — to keep track
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. club — for dancing
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. track — a song
  21. swing — music
  22. swing — to play on
  23. track — a path
  24. nail — for a hammer

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