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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: club · race · perch · straw · calf · deal

  1. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. perch — the fish
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. race — humankind
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — a group
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. deal — to handle
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. club — for dancing
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. race — the arms race
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. race — a contest
  18. straw — a straw man

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