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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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. spring — a coil
  3. board — a committee
  4. saw — the tool
  5. board — to get on
  6. suit — to fit
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. suit — clothes
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. club — for dancing
  13. spring — the season
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. can — to be able to
  16. suit — in cards
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. saw — the tool
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. spring — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. can — a tin

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