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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. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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 — happening now
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. bat — the animal
  5. craft — a skill
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. current — of water
  13. pitch — completely
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. craft — boats
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. wake — a trail
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. current — electric
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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