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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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. ball — a great time
  4. scale — size or range
  5. bulb — for light
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. kick — in football
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. pound — a weight
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. bulb — for light
  21. scale — in music
  22. fork — in a road
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. fork — a garden tool

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