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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 120 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. That was a fun ________________.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. game — a match
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ground — a position
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. current — electric
  9. pop — to visit
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pop — music
  13. current — of water
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ground — crushed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. current — happening now
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. game — wild animals
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. pop — soda

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