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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cue — a signal
  3. club — a group
  4. rest — what's left
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. cue — a hint
  9. rest — what's left
  10. swing — to play on
  11. swing — in golf
  12. club — for dancing
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — completely
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cue — for pool
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. club — for golf
  22. swing — music
  23. rest — a break
  24. pitch — a sports field

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