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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: club · kick · game · arm · kid · nail · calf · board

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. arm — part of the body
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. game — a match
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. board — to get on
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. club — for dancing
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. board — a committee
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. kid — to tease
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. kick — in football
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. game — wild animals
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. club — a group
  23. club — for golf
  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