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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ball — a dance
  3. mine — for digging
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. pass — a permit
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. ball — a great time
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. stand — to bear
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. pass — to succeed

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