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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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. squash — to crush
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. face — part of the head
  11. mug — to rob
  12. net — after costs
  13. firm — steady
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — a face
  16. face — to point toward
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. net — for catching
  20. firm — a company
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. firm — decided
  23. squash — the sport
  24. face — to confront

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