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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 don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. club — for golf
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. pass — a permit
  7. club — a group
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. chip — for betting
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. chip — to eat
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. court — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. court — of law
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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