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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: object · key · kid · swing · club · land · calf · chair

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. swing — in golf
  3. land — ground
  4. swing — music
  5. swing — to play on
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — in music
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. key — for a lock
  13. object — a thing
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. object — an aim
  16. object — to protest
  17. club — a group
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — a country
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. chair — a leader
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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