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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 116 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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hand — in cards
  4. swing — in golf
  5. board — a committee
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. board — to get on
  8. swing — to play on
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. suit — clothes
  11. ground — crushed
  12. suit — to fit
  13. staff — employees
  14. staff — a stick
  15. suit — in cards
  16. ground — a position
  17. ground — the earth
  18. hand — help
  19. craft — boats
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. staff — employees
  22. swing — music
  23. craft — a skill
  24. craft — a handicraft

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