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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: mine · press · roll · racket · club · present · straw · last

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. press — a publisher
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. last — final
  7. club — for golf
  8. club — for dancing
  9. roll — a list
  10. present — the time now
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. last — finally
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. present — a gift
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. last — to go on
  17. press — to push
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. present — there
  20. roll — a cake
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. press — newspapers
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. mine — for digging

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