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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. club — for dancing
  4. squash — to crush
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. club — for golf
  8. branch — a division
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. squash — the sport
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. club — a group
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stock — shares
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. stock — goods
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. kick — in football
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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