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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 120 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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the button?
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. can — a tin
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. press — a publisher
  6. press — newspapers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. root — of a word
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. sharp — clever
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — a partner
  14. can — a tin
  15. root — of a plant
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. press — to push
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mate — to breed
  20. can — to be able to
  21. root — the cause
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. safe — out of danger

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