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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. That must've been a ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — hurry
  6. march — music
  7. fine — all right
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. root — of a plant
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — the month
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. march — the month
  16. root — the cause
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. fine — high quality
  19. rush — a thrill
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. root — of a word
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. patient — a sick person

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