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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. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. deal — to handle
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. hand — help
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. fork — in a road
  10. pound — a weight
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. stand — to bear
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. suit — in cards
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hand — in cards
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. suit — clothes
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. pound — to hit hard

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