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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. staff — employees
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. staff — a stick
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. march — the month
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. stand — to bear
  15. march — the month
  16. staff — employees
  17. march — music
  18. mine — for digging
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mark — a grade
  21. mark — a trace
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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