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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 116 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. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. dip — to sink
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. pitch — completely
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. branch — a division
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. lean — thin
  19. ball — a great time
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. lean — to bend
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. ball — a dance

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