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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. suit — to fit
  6. spring — of water
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pitch — completely
  9. kick — in football
  10. suit — clothes
  11. mine — for digging
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. spring — the season
  24. pitch — a sports field

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