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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. club — a group
  5. squash — the sport
  6. stem — of a plant
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. squash — to crush
  11. spring — a coil
  12. season — in sport
  13. spring — of water
  14. stem — to come from
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pass — a permit
  17. season — of the year
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. spring — the season
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. club — for dancing
  24. pass — to succeed

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