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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  6. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. saw — the tool
  5. saw — past of 'see'
  6. pitch — a sales talk
  7. can — a tin
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. saw — the tool
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. ground — the earth
  14. can — to be able to
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pound — a weight
  17. bat — the animal
  18. ground — a position
  19. pitch — completely
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. can — a tin
  22. ground — crushed
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. jam — in traffic

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