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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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. club — a group
  5. kick — in football
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. club — for golf
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. capital — a big letter
  13. club — for dancing
  14. capital — a city
  15. fine — high quality
  16. row — to paddle
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. row — a line
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. capital — money
  22. fine — all right
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. row — a quarrel

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