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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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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: kick · club · bore · scale · pit · snap · hide · fan

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. 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. pit — in a race
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. club — for dancing
  4. scale — in music
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. pit — a hole
  7. club — a group
  8. bore — to tire
  9. scale — size or range
  10. kick — in football
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to click
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bore — to drill
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. club — for golf
  24. 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