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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 116 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 drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. row — a line
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bear — the animal
  9. pound — a weight
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bark — a dog's sound
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. row — to paddle
  16. ball — a great time
  17. stock — shares
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. ball — a dance
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. bear — the animal
  24. stock — goods

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