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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. saw — the tool
  5. net — after costs
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. field — farmland
  8. field — for sport
  9. field — a subject
  10. race — the arms race
  11. saw — the tool
  12. net — for catching
  13. deal — to handle
  14. race — humankind
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. track — a path
  18. race — a contest
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. track — a song
  21. track — to keep track
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. net — in sport

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