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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.

Make a worksheet

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: club · pitcher · stand · court · arm · shower · toast · straw

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. court — of a king
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. club — for dancing
  13. court — of law
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. club — a group
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. shower — to wash
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. club — for golf
  22. stand — to bear
  23. shower — rain
  24. arm — part of the body

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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