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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.

Make a worksheet

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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. club — for dancing
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. chair — a leader
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. swing — in golf
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. club — for golf
  14. bulb — for light
  15. swing — music
  16. bulb — for light
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. game — wild animals
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. swing — to play on
  24. club — a group

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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