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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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. net — after costs
  5. net — for catching
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. scale — size or range
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. fine — high quality
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. net — in sport
  16. fine — all right
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ball — a dance
  19. rush — hurry
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. scale — in music
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. straw — a straw man

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