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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: firm · rock · nail · kick · club · field · band · mug

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  3. Where did you ________________ them?
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. kick — a thrill
  3. mug — to rob
  4. rock — a stone
  5. kick — in football
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. club — for dancing
  9. mug — a cup
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. field — farmland
  15. firm — steady
  16. rock — music
  17. club — for golf
  18. firm — a company
  19. field — for sport
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. firm — decided
  22. field — a subject
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. club — a group

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