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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. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rest — what's left
  3. squash — the sport
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. content — the amount
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. content — happy
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. squash — to crush
  10. pitch — completely
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. rest — a break
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — what's left
  15. stand — to bear
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — a thing
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. object — to protest
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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