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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. firm — steady
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — the earth
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. dip — to sink
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. content — happy
  19. ground — a position
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. content — the amount
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. fork — in a road

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