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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. club — for dancing
  3. charge — electricity
  4. bulb — for light
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. club — for golf
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. club — a group
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. bound — obliged
  13. charge — a price
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pit — in a race
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. charge — in control
  19. sharp — clever
  20. pit — a hole
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bound — certain
  23. bound — tied together
  24. bulb — for light

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