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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 116 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. swing — music
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. degree — temperature
  7. land — to come down
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. degree — from a university
  11. swing — to play on
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. land — ground
  15. fork — in a road
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. degree — an amount
  22. swing — in golf
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. land — a country

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