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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. pop — music
  3. pop — to visit
  4. foot — a measure
  5. object — an aim
  6. wake — a trail
  7. pop — soda
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. club — a group
  20. object — a thing
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. club — for golf
  23. object — to protest
  24. club — for dancing

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