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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.

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. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. capital — money
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. branch — a division
  11. capital — a city
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. fine — all right
  17. foot — a measure
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. branch — of a tree
  20. fine — high quality
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. tube — a container
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. branch — of a bank

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