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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. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. clip — to cut
  3. ground — the earth
  4. bank — for money
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — a grade
  7. mark — a trace
  8. ground — a position
  9. pound — a weight
  10. clip — a video
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bank — for money
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. pitch — completely
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. bank — of a river

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