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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. current — electric
  5. field — farmland
  6. current — of water
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. club — a group
  11. hand — help
  12. field — for sport
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. hand — in cards
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. club — for golf
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. court — of a king
  19. court — for sport
  20. current — happening now
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. field — a subject
  23. court — of law
  24. club — for dancing

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