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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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. net — in sport
  3. row — a line
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. craft — boats
  6. stand — to bear
  7. net — for catching
  8. craft — a skill
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. row — to paddle
  12. ground — the earth
  13. last — to go on
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. net — after costs
  21. last — final
  22. last — finally
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  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