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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cue — a signal
  5. cue — a hint
  6. rule — a law
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. field — farmland
  9. club — for dancing
  10. object — a thing
  11. mug — to rob
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. mug — a face
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. object — to protest
  16. field — a subject
  17. cue — for pool
  18. mug — a cup
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. mine — for digging
  21. field — for sport
  22. club — for golf
  23. rule — government
  24. object — an aim

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