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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. rule — government
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. stock — goods
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. degree — temperature
  14. stock — shares
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. fork — in a road
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. rule — a law
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. rule — to rule out
  24. degree — from a university

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