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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: ruler · club · mark · pop · wind · deal · content · kick

  1. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — in football
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mark — a trace
  4. deal — to handle
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. club — for golf
  7. pop — to visit
  8. mark — a grade
  9. content — the amount
  10. pop — soda
  11. club — a group
  12. wind — moving air
  13. wind — moving air
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. pop — music
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. content — happy
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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