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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. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. land — to come down
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. stock — shares
  5. land — a country
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. capital — a city
  14. land — ground
  15. deal — to handle
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. stock — goods
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. capital — money
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — to roll

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