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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stand — to bear
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pitch — completely
  6. rush — hurry
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. game — a match
  12. bank — for money
  13. game — a kind of play
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. scale — size or range
  20. bank — of a river
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. scale — in music
  24. game — wild animals

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