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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bat — the animal
  6. saw — the tool
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. saw — the tool
  15. stand — to bear
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. fork — in a road
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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