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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. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. present — there
  4. present — the time now
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. present — a gift
  9. bound — certain
  10. stock — goods
  11. bound — obliged
  12. bound — tied together
  13. pit — a hole
  14. swing — music
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. pit — in a race
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. dip — to sink
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. swing — in golf
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. swing — to play on
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. stock — shares

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