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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. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — tied together
  2. scale — in music
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. bound — obliged
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. can — a tin
  9. cell — in biology
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. can — a tin
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bound — certain
  14. can — to be able to
  15. club — a group
  16. cell — a phone
  17. club — for dancing
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. scale — size or range
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. club — for golf

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