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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 116 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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — for golf
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. bulb — for light
  8. club — a group
  9. net — in sport
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. club — for dancing
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. net — for catching
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. scale — in music
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. net — after costs
  23. scale — size or range
  24. bulb — for light

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