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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. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. bulb — for light
  4. club — for golf
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. current — of water
  9. current — happening now
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. club — a group
  12. chip — to eat
  13. current — electric
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. pitch — completely
  19. bulb — for light
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. club — for dancing
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. deal — to handle
  24. chip — for betting

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