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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the sport
  2. stand — to bear
  3. club — for golf
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. club — a group
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. squash — to crush
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. club — for dancing
  14. stock — goods
  15. stock — shares
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. straw — a straw man

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