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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. suit — in cards
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. prune — to trim
  7. degree — from a university
  8. degree — an amount
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. prune — to trim
  13. object — an aim
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. degree — temperature
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. object — to protest
  20. pound — a weight
  21. object — a thing
  22. suit — to fit
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. straw — dry grass

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