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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. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. club — a group
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. spell — letters
  6. track — a path
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — magic
  9. squash — the sport
  10. track — to keep track
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. squash — to crush
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. bank — for money
  15. bank — of a river
  16. file — a document
  17. file — a tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. bank — for money
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a song
  24. club — for golf

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