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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. capital — a city
  3. club — a group
  4. plane — a tool
  5. capital — money
  6. club — for golf
  7. firm — steady
  8. club — for dancing
  9. key — for a lock
  10. firm — decided
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. capital — a big letter
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. key — in music
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. firm — a company
  22. key — the most important part
  23. bark — to shout
  24. bark — of a tree

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