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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. rule — a law
  3. mug — a face
  4. season — of the year
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. rule — government
  9. pound — to hit hard
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. ground — a position
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. mug — a cup
  15. object — to protest
  16. mug — to rob
  17. object — a thing
  18. pound — a weight
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. object — an aim
  24. kick — in football

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