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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.

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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: tear · land · racket · saw · bay · club · rush · straw

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. club — a group
  3. tear — to rip
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. land — a country
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — for dancing
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — from crying
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. land — to come down
  19. saw — the tool
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. rush — hurry
  23. land — ground
  24. racket — for tennis

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