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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.

Make a worksheet

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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. object — a thing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. key — for a lock
  11. current — electric
  12. season — in sport
  13. current — happening now
  14. season — of the year
  15. scale — in music
  16. object — to protest
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. current — of water
  20. key — in music
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. object — an aim
  23. key — the most important part
  24. club — for dancing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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