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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 120 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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. net — after costs
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. net — for catching
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. mark — a grade
  9. mark — a trace
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. foot — a measure
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. net — in sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. content — happy
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. bass — low music
  24. content — the amount

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