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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Have you settled on a ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — a stone
  4. land — to come down
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. charge — in control
  8. board — to get on
  9. pitch — completely
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. charge — electricity
  14. date — the fruit
  15. land — a country
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. land — ground
  20. charge — a price
  21. rock — music
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. board — a committee

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