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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. club — for dancing
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. kid — child
  7. pitch — completely
  8. object — an aim
  9. kid — to tease
  10. object — a thing
  11. club — for golf
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. track — a path
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. club — a group
  17. track — to keep track
  18. object — to protest
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. tube — the underground
  22. tube — a container
  23. bulb — for light
  24. straw — dry grass

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