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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pop — to visit
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stock — shares
  12. rule — a law
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. stock — goods
  16. rule — government
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. pop — music
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. pop — soda
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. pitch — completely

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