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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. land — a country
  3. ground — crushed
  4. degree — from a university
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. charge — electricity
  7. charge — in control
  8. ground — the earth
  9. degree — an amount
  10. foot — a measure
  11. ground — a position
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. degree — temperature
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. land — to come down
  18. land — ground
  19. charge — a price
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. cabinet — ministers

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