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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. game — a match
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. degree — from a university
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. suit — to fit
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. deal — to handle
  15. degree — an amount
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — a permit
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — wild animals
  22. degree — temperature
  23. squash — to crush
  24. coach — a trainer

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