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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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. club — for golf
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. bound — obliged
  6. spell — letters
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. spell — magic
  13. club — a group
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. club — for dancing
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. spell — a short time
  19. bound — certain
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. bound — tied together
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. arm — part of the body

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