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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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. can — to be able to
  5. shower — to wash
  6. pitch — completely
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. can — a tin
  10. shower — rain
  11. stand — to bear
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. lie — to recline
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. can — a tin
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. pitch — a sports field

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