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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.

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: bear · straw · chair · rash · spell · club · root · pop

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. straw — a straw man
  2. bear — the animal
  3. root — of a word
  4. root — the cause
  5. pop — music
  6. club — for golf
  7. spell — a short time
  8. spell — letters
  9. root — of a plant
  10. club — for dancing
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. pop — soda
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. chair — a leader
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. club — a group
  18. rash — hasty
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — the animal
  23. rash — a series
  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