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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. rock — a stone
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. scale — in music
  6. can — a tin
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pitch — completely
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. rock — music
  13. can — a tin
  14. scale — size or range
  15. can — to be able to
  16. lie — to recline
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. ground — crushed
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ground — a position
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. straw — dry grass

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