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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 124 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pound — a weight
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. spring — of water
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. key — the most important part
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. staff — employees
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. spring — a coil
  13. key — in music
  14. spring — the season
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. key — for a lock
  17. staff — a stick
  18. mine — for digging
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. pound — for dogs
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. staff — employees
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. ruler — for measuring

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