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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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bank — for money
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. rash — a series
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. track — a song
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. track — a path
  13. track — to keep track
  14. field — farmland
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. field — for sport
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. board — a committee
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. rash — hasty
  21. field — a subject
  22. swing — to play on
  23. swing — music
  24. board — to get on

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