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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 124 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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. Did you ________________ the button?
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. degree — from a university
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. press — to push
  8. press — newspapers
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mine — for digging
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. fine — all right
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. prune — to trim
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. prune — to trim
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. press — a publisher
  23. fine — high quality
  24. racket — for tennis

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