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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. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. net — after costs
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. season — of the year
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fine — all right
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — high quality
  11. net — in sport
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. track — to keep track
  14. season — in sport
  15. track — a song
  16. bore — to tire
  17. staff — employees
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. staff — employees
  20. bore — to drill
  21. staff — a stick
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. net — for catching
  24. track — a path

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