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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 120 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. club — a group
  3. ball — a dance
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. club — for golf
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. squash — the sport
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. drill — a practice
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. drill — army training
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. club — for dancing
  15. foot — a measure
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. ball — a great time
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. drill — the tool
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. squash — to crush
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cabinet — ministers

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