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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. club — for dancing
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. prune — to trim
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. prune — to trim
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. chip — for betting
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. chip — to eat
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. plane — a tool
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. nail — for a hammer

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