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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. 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. pound — a weight
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. bore — to drill
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. ground — the earth
  9. pound — for dogs
  10. ball — a great time
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bore — to tire
  13. pitch — completely
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. fine — all right
  16. ground — a position
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. wind — moving air
  19. fine — high quality
  20. wind — moving air
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. ground — crushed
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. 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