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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. pitch — completely
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. board — to get on
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. perch — the fish
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — a short time
  14. stand — to bear
  15. spell — letters
  16. tube — a container
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. chair — a leader
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. board — a committee
  23. tube — the underground
  24. chair — a professorship

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