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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
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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 · jam · net · sharp · chair · ground · stick · safe

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. sharp — clever
  8. ground — the earth
  9. ground — a position
  10. net — in sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. jam — in traffic
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. jam — a tight spot

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