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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.

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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: present · season · straw · board · squash · capital · safe · club

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  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. club — for golf
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. board — to get on
  6. squash — to crush
  7. club — a group
  8. present — the time now
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. capital — a city
  12. capital — money
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. squash — the sport
  15. present — there
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. present — a gift
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. season — in sport
  22. season — of the year
  23. club — for dancing
  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