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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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — clever
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. club — a group
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. object — to protest
  6. object — an aim
  7. club — for golf
  8. ball — a great time
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. track — a path
  13. object — a thing
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. track — a song
  18. ball — a dance
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. vault — a safe
  22. club — for dancing
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. track — to keep track

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