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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 120 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. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. pit — a hole
  5. current — electric
  6. bank — for money
  7. pit — in a race
  8. march — the month
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. march — music
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bank — of a river
  14. march — the month
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. bank — for money
  17. current — happening now
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. pitch — completely
  21. current — of water
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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