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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wound — an injury
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. club — a group
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. roll — a list
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wind — moving air
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. wind — moving air
  16. roll — a cake
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. foot — a measure
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. pass — a permit

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