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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: stick · straw · root · current · net · pitch · mate · fall

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. current — of water
  3. net — for catching
  4. current — happening now
  5. fall — to drop
  6. current — electric
  7. root — of a plant
  8. fall — the season
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fall — to drop
  13. net — in sport
  14. mate — to breed
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. mate — a partner
  18. root — the cause
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. pitch — completely
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. net — after costs
  23. root — of a word
  24. mate — a friend

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