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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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. squash — to crush
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. staff — employees
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. press — newspapers
  12. staff — employees
  13. stock — shares
  14. hand — in cards
  15. pitch — completely
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. staff — a stick
  19. press — to push
  20. squash — the sport
  21. rush — hurry
  22. stock — goods
  23. press — a publisher
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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