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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — a trace
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stand — to bear
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. capital — a city
  8. mug — a cup
  9. mug — a face
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitch — completely
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. mine — for digging
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. capital — money
  24. nail — for a hammer

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