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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. club — for golf
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. lie — to recline
  6. tube — the underground
  7. firm — a company
  8. club — for dancing
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — a container
  11. key — for a lock
  12. key — the most important part
  13. firm — decided
  14. court — of law
  15. bear — the animal
  16. key — in music
  17. firm — steady
  18. court — of a king
  19. club — a group
  20. court — for sport
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — to put up with

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