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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. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. pound — a weight
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. sharp — clever
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. rest — a break
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. fork — in a road
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rest — what's left
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. capital — a city
  18. craft — a skill
  19. rest — what's left
  20. capital — money
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. craft — boats

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