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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 120 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. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. ball — a dance
  3. stock — goods
  4. present — the time now
  5. ground — a position
  6. content — happy
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. stock — shares
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. present — there
  11. content — the amount
  12. present — a gift
  13. mug — a cup
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. mug — to rob
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. mug — a face
  18. ground — the earth
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. ground — crushed
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. ball — a great time
  24. stock — a soup base

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