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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: bat · club · deal · pitcher · straw · wave · temple · fan

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. deal — to handle
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. club — for golf
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. club — a group
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. bat — the animal
  24. fan — a supporter

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