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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. net — after costs
  4. fork — in a road
  5. net — for catching
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. roll — a list
  9. present — the time now
  10. stem — of a plant
  11. present — a gift
  12. can — a tin
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. stem — a stem cell
  16. net — in sport
  17. roll — a cake
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. stem — to come from
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. can — a tin
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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