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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: stand · club · rule · straw · court · present

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. 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. rule — to rule out
  2. present — the time now
  3. court — of law
  4. club — for golf
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. present — there
  7. court — of a king
  8. rule — government
  9. court — for sport
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. club — a group
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. rule — a law
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. present — a gift
  18. 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