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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. lean — to bend
  5. suit — clothes
  6. court — of law
  7. suit — to fit
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. lean — thin
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. pitch — completely
  14. suit — in cards
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. mark — a trace
  17. mark — a grade
  18. court — for sport
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. court — of a king
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. file — a line of people

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