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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pound — a weight
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. perch — the fish
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. board — to get on
  10. board — a committee
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. fork — in a road
  16. snap — to click
  17. deal — to handle
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. pitch — completely
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. fork — a garden tool

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