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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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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 · nail · deal · snap · pop · track · hand · straw

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — to keep track
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. pop — music
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. deal — to handle
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. club — for golf
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. hand — help
  14. track — a song
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. club — for dancing
  18. track — a path
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. snap — to click
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  24. deal — an agreement

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