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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. club — for golf
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. degree — temperature
  5. present — there
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. spell — a short time
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. club — for dancing
  10. degree — from a university
  11. cue — a hint
  12. spell — magic
  13. present — the time now
  14. spell — letters
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. degree — an amount
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. club — a group
  20. cue — a signal
  21. cue — for pool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. present — a gift
  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