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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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. mate — a partner
  3. fine — all right
  4. club — for golf
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. squash — to crush
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. land — a country
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. squash — the sport
  13. land — to come down
  14. club — a group
  15. mate — to breed
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. land — ground
  20. fine — high quality
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mate — a friend
  24. squash — the vegetable

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