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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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. swing — music
  4. lie — to recline
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. swing — to play on
  10. pound — a weight
  11. court — for sport
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. ground — a position
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. ground — crushed
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. court — of a king
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. court — of law

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