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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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 — a straw man
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. pitch — completely
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. wound — an injury
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wound — an injury
  16. club — for golf
  17. can — a tin
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. club — a group
  20. bass — low music
  21. can — a tin
  22. bass — the fish
  23. can — to be able to
  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