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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · fan · roll · kick · wound · mark · arm · pitcher

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. wound — an injury
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. roll — a list
  10. mark — a trace
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. club — for golf
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. club — for dancing
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. mark — a grade
  20. kick — in football
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. roll — a cake
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. club — a group

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