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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. game — a match
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. club — a group
  7. fine — high quality
  8. hand — in cards
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. bear — the animal
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. game — wild animals
  13. club — for golf
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bear — the animal
  21. hand — help
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. fine — all right
  24. hand — 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