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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 ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. rock — music
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. ground — a position
  7. ground — crushed
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. mark — a grade
  10. mark — a trace
  11. rock — a stone
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. jam — to spread on bread
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. ground — the earth
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. ruler — a monarch

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