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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mug · club · capital · season · straw · board · pop · kid

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. pop — to visit
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pop — soda
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. capital — money
  8. club — for dancing
  9. season — of the year
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. kid — child
  12. mug — a face
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. club — for golf
  15. season — in sport
  16. mug — a cup
  17. board — a committee
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. board — to get on
  20. kid — to tease
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. capital — a city
  23. club — a group
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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