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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. bank — for money
  4. mug — to rob
  5. bank — of a river
  6. club — for dancing
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. mug — a cup
  11. club — a group
  12. ball — a great time
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. ball — a dance
  18. mug — a face
  19. bank — for money
  20. file — a tool
  21. rush — hurry
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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