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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. firm — decided
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. club — for golf
  11. trunk — of an elephant
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. trunk — of a tree
  15. squash — the sport
  16. firm — a company
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. club — for dancing
  19. firm — steady
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. squash — to crush
  23. snap — to click
  24. safe — out of danger

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