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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pop — soda
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. present — the time now
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pop — to visit
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. cue — a hint
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. pound — a weight
  19. present — a gift
  20. cue — for pool
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. pop — music
  24. temple — a place of worship

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