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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. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. squash — the vegetable
  4. pound — a weight
  5. mate — a partner
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. bore — to tire
  8. mate — to breed
  9. court — for sport
  10. court — of law
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bear — the animal
  13. squash — the sport
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. cap — a lid
  16. squash — to crush
  17. cap — a hat
  18. mate — a friend
  19. court — of a king
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bear — the animal
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. cap — of ice
  24. pound — for dogs

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