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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 116 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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. suit — to fit
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. suit — clothes
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. suit — in cards
  10. track — to keep track
  11. court — of law
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. track — a song
  14. court — for sport
  15. pound — a weight
  16. track — a path
  17. court — of a king
  18. straw — a straw man

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