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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chest — of your body
  5. pitch — completely
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. bank — for money
  8. cap — a lid
  9. bank — for money
  10. chest — a box
  11. bank — of a river
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. chest — of your body
  14. cap — a hat
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. club — for golf
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. suit — clothes
  20. cap — of ice
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — to fit

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