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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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Word bank
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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. land — to come down
  3. race — a contest
  4. land — ground
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. swing — in golf
  8. land — a country
  9. fine — all right
  10. fork — in a road
  11. swing — music
  12. cue — for pool
  13. cue — a hint
  14. fine — high quality
  15. race — the arms race
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cue — a signal
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. swing — to play on
  21. pitch — completely
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. race — humankind

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