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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. can — a tin
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. suit — in cards
  5. cell — a phone
  6. can — a tin
  7. cell — in biology
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. suit — clothes
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. degree — an amount
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. suit — to fit
  16. degree — from a university
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. can — to be able to
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. degree — temperature
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pitch — completely

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