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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.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. pitch — completely
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. kid — to tease
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. wax — to grow
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. chair — a leader
  19. tube — the underground
  20. club — for dancing
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — a container

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