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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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. club — for dancing
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. fork — in a road
  7. bank — of a river
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. press — a publisher
  10. club — a group
  11. press — to push
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. pit — in a race
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. pit — a hole
  16. press — newspapers
  17. bank — for money
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. straw — a straw man

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