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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. root — of a word
  4. mug — to rob
  5. field — a subject
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. bat — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. root — the cause
  12. field — farmland
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. field — for sport
  16. rock — a stone
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. toast — bread
  21. mug — a face
  22. mug — a cup
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. rock — music

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