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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: squash · club · craft · can · racket · straw · key · wound

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. key — in music
  6. club — for dancing
  7. can — to be able to
  8. club — for golf
  9. can — a tin
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. can — a tin
  12. key — the most important part
  13. squash — the sport
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. key — for a lock
  16. craft — a skill
  17. wound — an injury
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. craft — boats
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. club — a group
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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