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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 · straw · deal · toast · rule · perch

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. toast — bread
  3. club — a group
  4. club — for golf
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rule — government
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. club — for dancing
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. deal — to handle
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. perch — the fish
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. rule — a law

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