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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. club — a group
  4. ball — a great time
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. board — a committee
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. board — to get on
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. deal — to handle
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. ball — a dance
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. club — for dancing
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. club — for golf
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. jam — in traffic

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