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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Did you ________________ the button?
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. land — a country
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. pit — in a race
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. land — ground
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. press — newspapers
  10. press — a publisher
  11. pit — a hole
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pound — a weight
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. land — to come down
  16. club — a group
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. press — to push
  21. club — for dancing
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. mouse — the animal

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