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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. club — a group
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. cue — for pool
  7. bat — the animal
  8. mate — a partner
  9. row — to paddle
  10. club — for golf
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. scale — in music
  14. mate — a friend
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. row — a line
  17. club — for dancing
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. cue — a signal
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. mate — to breed
  22. cue — a hint
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. scale — size or range

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