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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. game — a match
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. sharp — clever
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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