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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 120 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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. swing — in golf
  3. game — a match
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. squash — the sport
  6. bore — to drill
  7. swing — music
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. game — wild animals
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — in music
  13. squash — to crush
  14. swing — to play on
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. scale — size or range
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bore — to tire
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. tube — a container

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