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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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. game — wild animals
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. suit — in cards
  5. suit — to fit
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. game — a match
  9. rock — music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. jam — in traffic
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. rock — a stone
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. land — a country
  21. land — ground
  22. vault — a safe
  23. suit — clothes
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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