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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: root · bay · straw · present · squash · race · stick · pitcher

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. race — a contest
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. squash — to crush
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. root — of a word
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. race — the arms race
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. race — humankind
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. present — the time now
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. squash — the sport
  20. root — of a plant
  21. present — there
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. present — a gift
  24. squash — the vegetable

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