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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: ground · hand · club · toast · snap · rule · object · firm

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. firm — steady
  4. hand — in cards
  5. object — a thing
  6. club — for dancing
  7. toast — bread
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. firm — decided
  10. hand — help
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. ground — a position
  13. object — an aim
  14. club — a group
  15. firm — a company
  16. ground — crushed
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. snap — to click
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — a law
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. object — to protest
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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