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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: court · rush · club · pitch · straw · toast · lean · snap

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. toast — bread
  4. pitch — a sales talk
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. club — for golf
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. court — for sport
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. court — of law
  13. pitch — completely
  14. snap — to click
  15. lean — thin
  16. rush — hurry
  17. lean — to bend
  18. court — of a king
  19. club — for dancing
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. club — a group
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. straw — dry grass

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