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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: land · jam · kick · club · tube · wave · sharp · kid

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. club — for golf
  4. kid — child
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. land — ground
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. jam — in traffic
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — a country
  11. tube — the underground
  12. club — a group
  13. kick — in football
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. tube — a container
  18. club — for dancing
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. kid — to tease
  23. sharp — clever
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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