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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: straw · club · bat · saw · press · jam · bore · land

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. club — a group
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. land — ground
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. saw — the tool
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. press — to push
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. press — newspapers
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. club — for dancing
  15. press — a publisher
  16. bore — to tire
  17. land — to come down
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. bat — the animal
  21. land — a country
  22. bore — to drill
  23. club — for golf
  24. saw — the tool

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