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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 hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. mark — a grade
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. lean — to bend
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. rock — music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. row — to paddle
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. pitch — completely
  16. lean — thin
  17. chip — to eat
  18. row — a line
  19. rock — a stone
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. chip — for betting
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. chip — in a computer

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