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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: game · hand · club · wave · cue · mine · chair · lean

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. club — a group
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. cue — a signal
  5. club — for golf
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cue — for pool
  8. lean — thin
  9. mine — for digging
  10. lean — to bend
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. hand — help
  16. game — wild animals
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. cue — a hint
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. chair — a leader
  22. game — a match
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mine — an explosive

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