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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 120 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. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. charge — electricity
  3. race — the arms race
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. race — a contest
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. swing — in golf
  10. court — of a king
  11. season — in sport
  12. charge — in control
  13. fork — in a road
  14. swing — music
  15. court — of law
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. charge — a price
  19. swing — to play on
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. season — of the year
  23. court — for sport
  24. race — humankind

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