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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. The light ________________ burned out.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. pound — a weight
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — all right
  10. bulb — for light
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. stand — to bear
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. deal — to handle
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. pitch — completely
  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