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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. rule — a law
  3. wax — to grow
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. bulb — of a plant
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. rule — government
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — a position
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. bulb — for light
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. stand — to bear
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. ground — crushed
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bulb — for light

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