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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. club — for golf
  3. game — a match
  4. tear — to rip
  5. bound — obliged
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. deal — to handle
  12. tear — from crying
  13. club — a group
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. tear — from crying
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. object — a thing
  20. ball — a great time
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. ball — a dance

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