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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. capital — money
  3. mug — a face
  4. object — to protest
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. last — to go on
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. object — a thing
  13. last — finally
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. mug — to rob
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. object — an aim
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. mug — a cup
  20. capital — a city
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. last — final
  24. coach — a trainer

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