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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 newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. rock — a stone
  4. foot — a measure
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. current — happening now
  9. current — electric
  10. lean — thin
  11. current — of water
  12. rock — music
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. pitch — completely
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. lean — to bend
  20. kid — to tease
  21. mine — for digging
  22. kid — child
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. foot — part of the body

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