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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. net — for catching
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. stock — shares
  8. suit — to fit
  9. stock — goods
  10. game — wild animals
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. suit — in cards
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. net — after costs
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — in sport
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. dip — to sink
  23. suit — clothes
  24. leaves — to go away

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