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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. ground — crushed
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. pass — a permit
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. spring — a coil
  18. ground — a position
  19. spring — the season
  20. spring — of water
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. scale — size or range
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. scale — in music

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