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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. land — to come down
  6. club — a group
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — a company
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. club — for dancing
  15. key — in music
  16. firm — decided
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — for a lock
  19. rash — hasty
  20. land — ground
  21. rash — a series
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. dip — to sink
  24. land — a country

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