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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 120 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: club · straw · net · squash · foot · mark · object · band

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. net — after costs
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. squash — the sport
  5. band — a music group
  6. foot — a measure
  7. mark — a grade
  8. band — a ring
  9. net — for catching
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. object — a thing
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. object — an aim
  15. club — a group
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. squash — to crush
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. net — in sport
  21. club — for dancing
  22. club — for golf
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. object — to protest

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