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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. bear — the animal
  4. can — to be able to
  5. mug — a face
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. can — a tin
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. can — a tin
  10. squash — to crush
  11. race — a contest
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bear — the animal
  14. mug — to rob
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. mug — a cup
  17. stock — shares
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. squash — the sport
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. stock — goods
  22. perch — the fish
  23. race — the arms race
  24. bear — to put up with

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