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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. prune — to trim
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. prune — to trim
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. club — a group
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bass — the fish
  15. drill — army training
  16. club — for dancing
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. bass — low music
  20. club — for golf
  21. drill — a practice
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. mouse — for a computer

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