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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. mark — a trace
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. fork — in a road
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pit — a hole
  11. club — for golf
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. pit — in a race
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — after costs
  17. club — for dancing
  18. saw — the tool
  19. club — a group
  20. stand — to bear
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. net — in sport
  24. saw — the tool

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