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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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. tear — to rip
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. pass — a permit
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chip — for betting
  16. tear — from crying
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. tear — from crying
  22. toast — bread
  23. chip — to eat
  24. straw — dry grass

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