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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. content — the amount
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. club — a group
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a big letter
  9. dip — to sink
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. cell — in biology
  14. content — happy
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — for golf
  19. capital — a city
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. cell — a phone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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