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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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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: straw · rule · swing · jam · club · race · pitcher · cabinet

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. swing — music
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. swing — in golf
  7. club — for dancing
  8. rule — a law
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — a group
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. race — the arms race
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. rule — government
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. swing — to play on
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. race — humankind
  24. straw — a straw man

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