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

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fall — to drop
  5. club — for golf
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. club — for dancing
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. fall — the season
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. fall — to drop
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure

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