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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. hand — help
  5. object — to protest
  6. mug — a face
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. board — to get on
  9. object — a thing
  10. bound — tied together
  11. board — a committee
  12. bound — obliged
  13. court — of law
  14. hand — in cards
  15. court — of a king
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. object — an aim
  18. mug — a cup
  19. court — for sport
  20. mug — to rob
  21. bound — certain
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. pound — a weight

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