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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. bulb — for light
  5. bulb — for light
  6. club — for golf
  7. club — a group
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ground — crushed
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. firm — decided
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. ground — the earth
  19. ground — a position
  20. firm — a company
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. club — for dancing
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. firm — steady

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