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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. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. swing — to play on
  6. field — a subject
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. land — ground
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. swing — music
  12. swing — in golf
  13. land — a country
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bound — tied together
  16. track — to keep track
  17. track — a path
  18. bound — obliged
  19. track — a song
  20. bound — certain
  21. field — for sport
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. land — to come down
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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