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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. land — to come down
  3. bear — the animal
  4. content — happy
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. land — ground
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. bear — the animal
  11. land — a country
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. stock — goods
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. stock — shares
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. content — the amount
  22. chair — a leader
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. stand — for spectators

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