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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 116 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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Word bank
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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: prune · kid · bound · firm · kick · club · game · fine

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. prune — the fruit
  3. kid — child
  4. fine — all right
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bound — obliged
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. club — for golf
  11. club — a group
  12. game — a match
  13. firm — decided
  14. kick — in football
  15. bound — certain
  16. club — for dancing
  17. kid — to tease
  18. prune — to trim
  19. firm — a company
  20. firm — steady
  21. prune — to trim
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. bound — tied together

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