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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 120 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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. pit — a hole
  8. rash — a series
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. object — to protest
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — hasty
  14. charge — electricity
  15. object — a thing
  16. pit — in a race
  17. fine — all right
  18. charge — a price
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. object — an aim
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. charge — in control
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. straw — dry grass

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