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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 120 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. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. pound — a weight
  7. saw — the tool
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cue — a signal
  10. arm — a part of something
  11. cue — for pool
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. capital — a city
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. saw — the tool
  19. capital — money
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. cue — a hint

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