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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 116 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 ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. clip — for paper
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. clip — to cut
  9. cue — for pool
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. ground — crushed
  12. ground — a position
  13. chip — to eat
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. cue — a hint
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. clip — a video
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. chip — for betting
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. cue — a signal
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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