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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: suit · club · chip · tear · kick · mug · pitch · nail

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. suit — in cards
  4. club — a group
  5. mug — a cup
  6. mug — a face
  7. mug — to rob
  8. club — for golf
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. suit — clothes
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. pitch — completely
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. suit — to fit
  19. chip — for betting
  20. chip — to eat
  21. kick — in football
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. tear — from crying

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