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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. mug — to rob
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. mug — a face
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. bank — for money
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitch — completely
  15. prune — to trim
  16. bank — for money
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. mug — a cup
  21. prune — to trim
  22. bank — of a river
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. game — a kind of play

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