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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. club — for dancing
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. pop — music
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. pop — to visit
  15. scale — size or range
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. scale — in music
  24. calf — a young animal

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