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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: row · club · pop · key · kick · straw · patient · sharp

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. pop — music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. key — the most important part
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pop — to visit
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. row — to paddle
  13. pop — soda
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. key — for a lock
  16. kick — in football
  17. club — for golf
  18. key — in music
  19. club — for dancing
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — clever
  23. row — a line
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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