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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.

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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. club — a group
  4. pound — a weight
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. club — for golf
  7. kick — in football
  8. ground — the earth
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. club — for dancing
  13. swing — music
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. swing — in golf
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ground — crushed
  24. swing — to play on

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