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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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. root — the cause
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. cell — in biology
  6. present — the time now
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. firm — decided
  9. present — a gift
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. club — a group
  13. club — for golf
  14. firm — steady
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. club — for dancing
  17. root — of a word
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. pitch — completely
  23. firm — a company
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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