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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. pop — soda
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pop — music
  5. net — in sport
  6. squash — to crush
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. swing — music
  9. present — the time now
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. squash — the sport
  12. present — a gift
  13. present — there
  14. pop — to visit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. staff — employees
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. swing — in golf
  19. staff — employees
  20. net — after costs
  21. swing — to play on
  22. staff — a stick
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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