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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. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. key — for a lock
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. stock — shares
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. pass — a permit
  13. pound — a weight
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. wax — to grow
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. stock — goods
  21. key — in music
  22. wax — for sculpting
  23. key — the most important part
  24. pass — to succeed

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