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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  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. straw — dry grass
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. kid — child
  5. content — the amount
  6. current — of water
  7. firm — decided
  8. current — electric
  9. game — a match
  10. firm — a company
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. firm — steady
  15. current — happening now
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. kid — to tease
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. content — happy
  23. jam — in traffic
  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