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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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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 · kid · bark · firm · nail · club · trunk · racket

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. club — a group
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. club — for golf
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. kick — in football
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kid — to tease
  10. bark — to shout
  11. kid — child
  12. club — for dancing
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. firm — steady
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. firm — decided
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. firm — a company
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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