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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 116 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 smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. I can't ________________ this cold.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. net — for catching
  5. current — electric
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. current — happening now
  8. net — after costs
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. stand — to bear
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. face — to point toward
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. face — part of the head
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. current — of water
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. net — in sport
  24. face — to confront

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