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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: straw · fork · pass · mouse · land · pit · fine · shower

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. fine — high quality
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. land — to come down
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. fine — all right
  10. pit — a hole
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. pit — in a race
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. land — a country
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pit — a fruit stone
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. pass — a permit
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. fork — in a road
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. land — ground
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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