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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. lean — to bend
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. board — a committee
  5. lean — thin
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. board — to get on
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. can — a tin
  18. lean — to rest against

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