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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. pass — a permit
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. club — for dancing
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. club — a group
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. craft — a skill
  9. pop — music
  10. cell — in biology
  11. club — for golf
  12. branch — of a tree
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. branch — a division
  16. cell — a phone
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. pop — to visit
  20. branch — of a bank
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. bay — a horse colour

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