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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 · deal · face · mine · suit · club · rule · kick

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rule — a law
  3. club — a group
  4. suit — to fit
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. face — to point toward
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. mine — for digging
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. face — to confront
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. face — part of the head
  17. suit — clothes
  18. rule — government
  19. deal — to handle
  20. kick — in football
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. club — for dancing
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. deal — an agreement

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