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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. bulb — for light
  9. cue — a hint
  10. cue — a signal
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. bulb — of a plant
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bulb — for light
  17. squash — the sport
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — a match
  20. game — wild animals
  21. club — for dancing
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. arm — a part of something

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