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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. game — a match
  3. club — for dancing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bound — tied together
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. suit — to fit
  9. branch — a division
  10. game — wild animals
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. club — a group
  13. squash — the sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. squash — to crush
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. suit — clothes
  21. bound — obliged
  22. bound — certain
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. squash — the vegetable

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