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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. The ________________ went through the wall.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — to put up with
  4. sharp — clever
  5. fork — in a road
  6. race — a contest
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. bear — the animal
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — of a king
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. fork — to eat with
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — for sport
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. court — of law
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. bear — the animal
  23. race — humankind
  24. race — the arms race

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