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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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. field — farmland
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. club — for dancing
  6. rush — hurry
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. ball — a great time
  10. saw — the tool
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. field — for sport
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. ball — a dance
  15. bank — for money
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. club — a group
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — for golf
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. bank — for money
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. field — a subject

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