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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. degree — from a university
  5. mug — a face
  6. pound — a weight
  7. firm — steady
  8. club — for golf
  9. firm — decided
  10. degree — an amount
  11. can — a tin
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. can — a tin
  15. chair — a leader
  16. degree — temperature
  17. mug — to rob
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. firm — a company
  20. mug — a cup
  21. club — for dancing
  22. can — to be able to
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. chair — a professorship

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