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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. present — the time now
  3. club — a group
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. present — there
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. suit — to fit
  9. kid — child
  10. bound — tied together
  11. kid — to tease
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. bound — obliged
  14. chair — a leader
  15. suit — in cards
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bound — certain
  19. present — a gift
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — for dancing
  23. pitch — completely
  24. suit — clothes

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