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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. can — to be able to
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — a law
  6. object — to protest
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. key — for a lock
  9. swing — to play on
  10. object — a thing
  11. key — the most important part
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. can — a tin
  14. hand — in cards
  15. swing — in golf
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. swing — music
  19. key — in music
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. hand — help
  22. object — an aim
  23. can — a tin
  24. straw — dry grass

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