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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rash — a series
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. kick — in football
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. stand — to bear
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. pitch — completely
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. rush — hurry
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. rash — hasty

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