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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 sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. rule — a law
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. mug — to rob
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. chair — a leader
  10. perch — the fish
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. game — wild animals
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mug — a face
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. mug — a cup
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rule — government
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. game — a match
  24. straw — dry grass

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