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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — there
  3. club — for dancing
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. club — a group
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. rule — a law
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. rule — government
  18. present — the time now
  19. foot — a measure
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. present — a gift
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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