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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 116 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: clip · bear · wave · court · board · kick · dip · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bear — the animal
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. board — to get on
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. clip — a video
  7. court — of law
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. board — a committee
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. club — a group
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. club — for dancing
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. kick — in football
  16. court — for sport
  17. clip — for paper
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. bear — the animal
  21. dip — to sink
  22. clip — to cut
  23. court — of a king
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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