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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. root — the cause
  4. fork — in a road
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. swing — to play on
  8. club — for golf
  9. club — a group
  10. root — of a word
  11. swing — in golf
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. swing — music
  14. suit — clothes
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. suit — to fit
  19. root — of a plant
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. club — for dancing
  22. suit — in cards
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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