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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 116 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. deal — to handle
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. root — of a word
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. tear — to rip
  10. ground — a position
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. tear — from crying
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. tear — from crying
  16. board — to get on
  17. ground — the earth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. ground — crushed
  21. board — a committee
  22. root — of a plant
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. root — the cause

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