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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. wake — a trail
  6. lean — to bend
  7. track — a song
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. track — a path
  10. file — a tool
  11. cue — a hint
  12. pitch — completely
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. file — a document
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. cue — a signal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. track — to keep track
  22. file — a line of people
  23. deal — to handle
  24. cue — for pool

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