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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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. vault — a safe
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. stand — to bear
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. club — a group
  17. club — for golf
  18. press — to push
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. row — to paddle
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. press — newspapers
  24. press — a publisher

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