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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. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. capital — a big letter
  2. club — a group
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bat — the animal
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. club — for dancing
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. pop — music
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — to visit
  14. bulb — for light
  15. capital — a city
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. capital — money
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. club — for golf
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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