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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 116 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. mark — a grade
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. mate — a partner
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mate — a friend
  8. cue — for pool
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pitch — completely
  11. charge — a price
  12. charge — in control
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. charge — electricity
  16. mate — to breed
  17. wax — to grow
  18. cue — a signal
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. cue — a hint
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. straw — dry grass

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