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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. bank — for money
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — the earth
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. bank — for money
  7. roll — a list
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. club — for golf
  10. ground — a position
  11. land — to come down
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bank — of a river
  14. land — a country
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. prune — to trim
  18. land — ground
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. ground — crushed
  22. roll — a cake
  23. prune — to trim
  24. club — a group

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