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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. squash — the sport
  6. pit — a hole
  7. game — a match
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. pit — in a race
  10. firm — decided
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. firm — a company
  13. game — wild animals
  14. craft — boats
  15. spell — letters
  16. craft — a skill
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. firm — steady
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spell — magic
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. squash — to crush
  24. spell — a short time

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