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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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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: straw · racket · ground · cabinet · spring · leaves · deal · club

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. ground — crushed
  2. club — for golf
  3. ground — a position
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. deal — to handle
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. spring — a coil
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spring — the season
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. club — a group
  14. spring — of water
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. club — for dancing
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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