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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. squash — to crush
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. stock — shares
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. squash — the sport
  17. sharp — clever
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. stand — to bear
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. stock — goods
  24. pitch — completely

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