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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. race — a contest
  4. race — humankind
  5. rush — hurry
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. capital — money
  12. net — in sport
  13. net — after costs
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. net — for catching
  19. deal — to handle
  20. capital — a city
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pound — a weight
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rush — a thrill

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