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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 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. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. craft — a skill
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. root — of a word
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. rock — music
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. charge — electricity
  13. mine — for digging
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. charge — a price
  16. rock — a stone
  17. charge — in control
  18. root — the cause
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. craft — boats
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. root — of a plant

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