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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The ________________ took off on time.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. plane — an aircraft
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. plane — a tool
  6. club — for golf
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. field — a subject
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. club — a group
  14. charge — a price
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. bank — for money
  18. charge — electricity
  19. charge — in control
  20. field — for sport
  21. field — farmland
  22. bank — of a river
  23. track — a path
  24. plane — in geometry

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