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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stock — shares
  3. wound — an injury
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. stock — goods
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. track — a song
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pass — a permit
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a path
  13. wound — an injury
  14. saw — the tool
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. fork — in a road
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. mark — a trace
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. saw — the tool
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. mark — a grade

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