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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 120 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: kick · key · firm · bowl · club · hand · can · pitcher

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. can — to be able to
  6. club — a group
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. firm — steady
  9. key — for a lock
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. kick — in football
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. key — in music
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. hand — in cards
  16. firm — a company
  17. can — a tin
  18. hand — help
  19. can — a tin
  20. key — the most important part
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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