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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 116 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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. club — for dancing
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. object — to protest
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pound — a weight
  10. saw — the tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. club — for golf
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. object — an aim
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. object — a thing
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. saw — the tool
  22. club — a group
  23. sharp — with an edge
  24. sharp — clever

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