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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 124 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. firm — decided
  3. court — of a king
  4. net — for catching
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. cue — for pool
  10. cue — a hint
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. pound — a weight
  13. cue — a signal
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. firm — a company
  16. court — for sport
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — after costs
  21. court — of law
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. firm — steady

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