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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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — in an idiom
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. bat — the animal
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. board — to get on
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. game — a match
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. game — wild animals
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. land — to come down
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. land — a country
  22. board — a committee
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. land — ground

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