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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. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. toast — bread
  4. saw — the tool
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. rush — hurry
  7. pitch — completely
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pop — soda
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. saw — the tool
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. stem — to come from
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. pop — to visit
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. rush — a thrill

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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