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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. suit — to fit
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. fine — high quality
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. pound — a weight
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fine — all right
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. suit — in cards
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. roll — a cake
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. pitch — completely
  20. suit — clothes
  21. sharp — clever
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. roll — a list
  24. roll — on a roll

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