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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. game — wild animals
  3. club — for dancing
  4. club — for golf
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. cue — a hint
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. spell — a short time
  9. game — a match
  10. club — a group
  11. spell — letters
  12. spell — magic
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. roll — a cake
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. roll — a list
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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