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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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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: stick · hide · club · wound · charge · firm · ball · kick

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. wound — an injury
  3. firm — decided
  4. firm — a company
  5. charge — in control
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. charge — a price
  10. club — a group
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — for golf
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. club — for dancing
  18. charge — electricity
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. firm — steady
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. kick — a thrill

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