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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: race · pop · pit · spring · suit · club · kick · lean

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. spring — of water
  4. lean — thin
  5. club — a group
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — soda
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. race — the arms race
  10. pop — to visit
  11. lean — to bend
  12. race — humankind
  13. pit — a hole
  14. spring — a coil
  15. suit — to fit
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — for dancing
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. suit — clothes
  20. race — a contest
  21. pit — in a race
  22. club — for golf
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. suit — in cards

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