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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. board — to get on
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. saw — the tool
  6. pop — soda
  7. swing — in golf
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. board — a committee
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. root — of a word
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. swing — music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. root — of a plant
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pop — music
  20. swing — to play on
  21. toast — bread
  22. chair — a leader
  23. root — the cause
  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