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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.

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: march · spell · club · perch · straw · suit · object · bear

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — for golf
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. march — the month
  5. bear — the animal
  6. suit — clothes
  7. spell — a short time
  8. suit — to fit
  9. suit — in cards
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. march — the month
  12. march — music
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. club — for dancing
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. object — to protest
  17. perch — the fish
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. object — a thing
  22. club — a group
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. bear — the animal

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