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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bear — the animal
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. rest — a break
  5. rest — what's left
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. degree — an amount
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. degree — from a university
  14. prune — to trim
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pound — a weight
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. degree — temperature
  20. rest — what's left
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. prune — to trim
  23. bear — the animal
  24. cabinet — ministers

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