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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: kick · jam · racket · club · sharp · drill · present · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. kick — in football
  6. club — for golf
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. drill — the tool
  10. present — a gift
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. drill — a practice
  13. club — for dancing
  14. present — there
  15. drill — army training
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. present — the time now
  18. club — a group
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. jam — to spread on bread
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. sharp — clever

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