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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. pound — a weight
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. swing — to play on
  8. swing — music
  9. track — to keep track
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. swing — in golf
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. object — a thing
  15. cap — a lid
  16. cap — of ice
  17. cap — a hat
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. rock — music
  20. object — to protest
  21. track — a path
  22. rock — a stone
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. track — a song

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