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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ground — the earth
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. stock — shares
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. board — a committee
  8. club — a group
  9. pit — a hole
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. ground — a position
  13. cell — a phone
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. cell — in biology
  16. club — for dancing
  17. board — to get on
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. ground — crushed
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. stock — goods
  23. club — for golf
  24. pit — in a race

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