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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bulb — for light
  6. game — wild animals
  7. bank — for money
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. branch — a division
  10. pass — a permit
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. bank — for money
  15. club — a group
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. game — a match
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. bulb — for light
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bank — of a river

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