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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. object — to protest
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. current — of water
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. march — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. current — happening now
  11. object — an aim
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. march — the month
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. deal — to handle
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. march — the month
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitch — completely
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. object — a thing
  24. current — electric

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