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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. present — a gift
  3. track — to keep track
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. march — the month
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. track — a path
  8. mug — a face
  9. pit — a hole
  10. scale — size or range
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. present — there
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. deal — to handle
  15. mug — a cup
  16. march — music
  17. mug — to rob
  18. present — the time now
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. scale — in music
  21. track — a song
  22. pit — in a race
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. march — the month

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