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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: roll · stick · mouse · pass · arm · cap · straw · club

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. pass — a permit
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. club — for dancing
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. club — a group
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. roll — a list
  9. club — for golf
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. cap — a lid
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cap — of ice
  20. roll — a cake
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. cap — a hat

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