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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 120 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 got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. club — for golf
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. club — a group
  7. club — for dancing
  8. fine — high quality
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. file — a tool
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pass — a permit
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rock — music
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. file — a document
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. fine — all right
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rock — a stone
  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