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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. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. fork — in a road
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. staff — employees
  8. trunk — of an elephant
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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