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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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. safe — out of danger
  4. land — to come down
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. land — ground
  7. land — a country
  8. pitch — completely
  9. saw — the tool
  10. tube — a container
  11. drill — the tool
  12. drill — army training
  13. saw — the tool
  14. track — to keep track
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. track — a path
  17. tube — the underground
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — a practice
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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