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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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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: racket · foot · deal · lean · dip · club · kick · pitcher

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. club — for golf
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. lean — thin
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. kick — in football
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — a group
  20. deal — to handle
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lean — to bend
  23. dip — to sink
  24. deal — a big deal

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