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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. pit — in a race
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. craft — a skill
  7. wound — an injury
  8. firm — a company
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — boats
  14. pit — a hole
  15. firm — decided
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. wound — an injury
  21. deal — to handle
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. firm — steady
  24. pitcher — a jug

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