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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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. ground — crushed
  5. fine — all right
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. fine — high quality
  10. craft — boats
  11. pound — a weight
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. craft — a skill
  14. ground — a position
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. pass — a permit
  18. pound — to hit hard

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