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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. bark — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. file — a document
  6. stand — to bear
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. bark — to shout
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. net — in sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. file — a tool
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. net — for catching
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. file — a line of people
  19. club — for golf
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. toast — bread
  23. net — after costs
  24. toast — the most admired

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