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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fine — high quality
  4. track — a path
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. lean — thin
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. club — a group
  9. fine — all right
  10. wound — an injury
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. club — for golf
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. track — a song
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. lean — to bend
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. track — to keep track

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