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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. kid — child
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a tool
  8. pitch — completely
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. chip — for betting
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. stand — to bear
  13. chip — to eat
  14. club — a group
  15. bulb — for light
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. kid — to tease
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. file — a document
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — for spectators

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