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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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. David sat on the ________________.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pit — a hole
  3. swing — music
  4. mate — to breed
  5. swing — to play on
  6. board — to get on
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. stock — shares
  9. swing — in golf
  10. rock — a stone
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. board — a committee
  14. mate — a partner
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. rock — music
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mate — a friend

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