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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: trunk · kid · nail · kick · squash · suit · content · club

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  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. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. kick — in football
  3. club — a group
  4. suit — in cards
  5. content — happy
  6. club — for dancing
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. content — the amount
  10. club — for golf
  11. kid — child
  12. squash — the sport
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. kid — to tease
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. suit — clothes
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. suit — to fit
  21. squash — to crush
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. squash — the vegetable
  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