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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pop — to visit
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. pop — soda
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. pass — a permit
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — music
  16. sharp — with an edge
  17. stand — to bear
  18. drill — army training
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. sharp — clever
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. stand — for spectators

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