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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. cell — in biology
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. track — to keep track
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. track — a path
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. cell — a phone
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pitch — completely
  17. track — a song
  18. pass — a permit
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. trunk — of a car

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