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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: mine · stick · club · straw · wake · ball · ground · rash

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  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. ground — a position
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a dance
  8. club — a group
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. rash — a series
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. mine — for digging
  18. club — for dancing
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rash — hasty
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. wake — a trail
  23. club — for golf
  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