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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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. charge — in control
  3. march — music
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. charge — a price
  6. key — the most important part
  7. wake — a trail
  8. key — for a lock
  9. march — the month
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. net — for catching
  13. net — after costs
  14. perch — the fish
  15. net — in sport
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. march — the month
  23. key — in music
  24. pound — a weight

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