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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. perch — for a bird
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. kid — child
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pound — a weight
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. perch — the fish
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. cue — for pool
  14. kid — to tease
  15. bore — to tire
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. bark — to shout
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. pit — a hole
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cue — a hint
  22. cue — a signal
  23. bore — to drill
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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