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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. swing — to play on
  4. key — in music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. swing — music
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. spell — a short time
  9. key — the most important part
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. pop — soda
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pop — music
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chest — of your body
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pop — to visit
  23. key — for a lock
  24. swing — in golf

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