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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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. pound — a weight
  4. content — the amount
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. board — to get on
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. board — a committee
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. content — happy
  12. stem — to come from
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — a trail
  18. rock — music
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. pound — for dogs

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