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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. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. rule — government
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. scale — in music
  5. mug — to rob
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. pound — a weight
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. fork — in a road
  13. spell — a short time
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. spell — magic
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. mug — a cup
  18. mug — a face
  19. rule — a law
  20. can — a tin
  21. spell — letters
  22. scale — size or range
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. scale — for weighing

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