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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. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. net — after costs
  3. suit — to fit
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. net — for catching
  7. game — wild animals
  8. suit — in cards
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. game — a match
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. bore — to tire
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. suit — clothes
  16. bat — the animal
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. net — in sport
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pound — a weight
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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