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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. 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 — a straw man
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. stem — to come from
  4. pass — a permit
  5. net — in sport
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rush — hurry
  11. net — for catching
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. net — after costs
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. key — the most important part
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. key — for a lock
  22. key — in music
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. 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