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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. pound — a weight
  3. stem — to come from
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mate — to breed
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. staff — a stick
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. track — to keep track
  12. track — a song
  13. fork — in a road
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. track — a path
  21. staff — employees
  22. staff — employees
  23. mate — a partner
  24. fork — to eat with

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