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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: staff · root · hand · ball · squash · present · club · kick

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. club — a group
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. club — for golf
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. kick — in football
  8. hand — in cards
  9. squash — to crush
  10. club — for dancing
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a dance
  13. staff — employees
  14. ball — a great time
  15. staff — a stick
  16. root — of a plant
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. present — a gift
  19. present — the time now
  20. staff — employees
  21. present — there
  22. root — the cause
  23. squash — the sport
  24. root — of a word

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