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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 had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. row — a line
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. net — after costs
  7. net — in sport
  8. degree — an amount
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. degree — temperature
  11. net — for catching
  12. present — a gift
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. foot — a measure
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. present — the time now
  19. degree — from a university
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. present — there
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. row — to paddle

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