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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. chip — to eat
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. swing — to play on
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. chip — for betting
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. swing — in golf
  19. swing — music
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. band — a music group

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