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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. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. tear — from crying
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. present — there
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. swing — music
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tear — from crying
  13. present — a gift
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. pop — music
  16. pop — to visit
  17. pitch — completely
  18. swing — in golf
  19. pop — soda
  20. swing — to play on
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. present — the time now
  23. tear — to rip
  24. jam — in traffic

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