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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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Word bank
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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: bowl · degree · clip · straw · stand · club

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. club — a group
  8. degree — temperature
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stand — to bear
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. clip — for paper
  13. club — for golf
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. degree — an amount
  16. club — for dancing
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. degree — from a university

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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