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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 captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. cue — for pool
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. bear — the animal
  5. pound — a weight
  6. current — electric
  7. current — of water
  8. prune — to trim
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. cue — a hint
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. prune — to trim
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. hand — in cards
  15. bear — the animal
  16. board — a committee
  17. cue — a signal
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. hand — help
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. current — happening now
  24. pound — for dogs

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