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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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. court — of law
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. current — electric
  5. degree — an amount
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. degree — from a university
  8. ball — a dance
  9. degree — temperature
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. court — of a king
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. current — of water
  19. pass — a permit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ball — a great time
  22. current — happening now
  23. court — for sport
  24. straw — a straw man

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