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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: mine · club · pass · land · hand · sharp · foot · kick

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. sharp — clever
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pass — a permit
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. kick — in football
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. club — a group
  10. land — a country
  11. club — for golf
  12. mine — for digging
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. land — to come down
  18. hand — help
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. club — for dancing
  22. hand — in cards
  23. land — ground
  24. foot — part of the body

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