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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. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. current — electric
  3. current — happening now
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. present — a gift
  6. field — for sport
  7. foot — a measure
  8. suit — clothes
  9. present — there
  10. current — of water
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. roll — a cake
  14. season — of the year
  15. field — a subject
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. roll — a list
  19. field — farmland
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. season — in sport
  22. present — the time now
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — in cards

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